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LOS  ANGELES 

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UNIVERSITY  of  CALlFORNTi* 

LOS  ANGELES 
LIBRARY 


HARPER'S  HOME  ECONOMICS 

Edited  by 

ISABEL  ELY  LORD 

Director  of  the  School  of  Household  Science 
and  Arts,  Pratt  Institute 

HOW  TO  COOK  AND  WHY.  by  Elizadeth 
CoNDiT,  Assistant  Supervisor  in  Household  Science, 
and  Jeshie  A.  Long,  Instructor  in  Cookery,  Tratt 
Institute. 

PLANNING  AND  FURNISHING  THE  HOME, 
by  Mahy  J.  QiiiNN,  Instructor  in  Desicn.  Scliool 
of  Household  Scieucfe  and  Arts,  Pratt  Institute. 

Each  volume  Ifinio,  Cloth,  $1.00  net; 
Sent  postpaid  for  $1.07. 

Others  in  Preparation. 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS.  NEW  YORK 


VLKTICAL    LINKS    EMl'llAM/i:    THE    HlilGHT    Of    A    KooM 


PLANNING 

AND    FURNISHING 

THE    HOME 

PRACTICAL     AND     ECONOMICAL 
SUGGESTIONS    FOR    THE    HOMEMAKER 


BY 

MARY   J.   QUINN 

INSTRUCTOR  IN  DESIGN 

SCHOOL  OF  HOUSEHOLD  SCIENCE  AND  ARTS 

PRATT  INSTITUTE 


ILLUSl-RATED 


HARPER  &    BROTHERS  PUBLISHERS 
NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 


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PRINTCD  In    the    UNITED    STATES   OF    Ah 
PUOLI^HEO     SLPT^MSCR,      1914 

C'9 


CHAP. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Editor's  Introduction ix 

I.  Building  the  House i 

II.  Which  House  Shall  It  Be? 8 

III.  Renting  a  House  or  an  Apartment   .     .  23 

IV.  What  We  Need  for  the  House  ....  35 

V.  Rugs  and  Curtains 55 

VI.  Chairs  and  Tables  of  the  Past      ...  68 

VII.  Old  English  Furniture 7S 

VIII.  Old  French  Furniture 99 

IX.  American  Colonial  Furniture    ....  109 

X.  Furniture  of  To-day 117 

XI.  What  to  Do  for  the  Halls 127 

XII.  The  Family  Living-room 133 

XIII.  The  Dining-room 146 

XIV.  The  Bedrooms i55 

XV.  The  Kitchen  and  Laundry 164 

XVI.  Handy  Man's  Chapter 174 

XVII.  SoMiE  Useful  Books 182 

Index ^^7 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Vertical  Lines  Emphasize  the  Height  of 

A  Room.  (PhotographbyAliceBoughton.)       Frontispiece 

Colonial  (Upper)  ;  Dutch  Colonial  (Low- 
er). (Courtesy  of  Alymer  Embury,  Archi- 
tect.)        Facing  p.      8 

HouseShowingEnglish  Inlfuence  (Upper). 
(Courtesy  of  Wilson  Eyre,  Architect.) 
House  Showing  Italian  Influence 
(Lower).  (Courtesy  of  Alymer  Em- 
bury, Architect.) "  14 

Elizabethan  Furniture "         78 

Jacobean  Furniture "         82 

Dutch  Influence "         86 

Chippendale "         90 

Hepplewhite  and  Sheraton "         96 

French  Furniture "       104 

Some  Samples  OF  Colonial  Furniture  .     .       "       110 
Examples  of  Simple  Furniture  which  may 
BE  Bought  in  Stain,  Enamel,  or  Un- 
finished.    (Courtesy  of  Leavens  Furni- 
ture Co.,  Boston.)    ,        '■        u8 


vi  '  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Pleasing  Examples  of  Modern  Mission 
Furniture  and  Reproduction  of  An- 
tique       Facing  p.  T24 

A  Simple  Hall "       128 

A  Corner  of  a  Living-room  with  Built-in 
Book-shelves.     (Photograph    by  Alice 

Boughton.) "        136 

A  Convenient  Butler's  Pantry  ....       "        150 
A  Corner  of  an  Attic  Bedroom.     (Photo- 
graph by  Alice  Boughton.) **        156 


EDITOR'S    INTRODUCTION 

ONE  of  the  important  problems  of  home  life 
is  that  of  making  the  physical  setting  of  the 
home  a  beautiful,  restful  place.  The  furnishing 
of  the  home,  as  well  as  the  planning  of  it  for  those 
who  are  fortunate  enough  to  be  able  to  build, 
is  the  most  striking  expression  of  the  family  ideals. 
If  the  furnishing  is  done  with  little  thought  and 
on  the  recommendation  of  the  furniture  sales- 
man, then  the  family  ideal  is  not  high  as  to  this 
particular  subject.  Some  people  prefer  to  have 
just  what  "everybody"  has;  many  a  house- 
keeper wants  some  piece  of  furniture  just  because 
a  friend  or  neighbor  has  it.  But  more  and  more 
home-makers  are  longing  to  express  themselves 
in  beauty  of  line  and  color  and  pattern  in  the 
furnishings  of  the  rooms  they  live  in. 

The  book  Miss  Quinn  has  written  is  for  such 
home-makers  as  this  last  group.  It  will  be  of 
service  to  those  who  have  homes  of  long  standing 
that  can  be  made  more  beautiful,  to  those  who 
are  planning  a  new  home,  to  the  woman  who  has 
a  whole  house,  to  the  woman  with  a  small  apart- 
ment, or  to  the  one  who  has  but  one  room,  to  the 


X  EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION 

girl  of  high-school  age  who  wishes  to  help  in- 
telligently in  her  present  home  and  to  know  how 
to  plan  for  a  future  home  of  her  own. 

The  book  differs  from  other  available  books 
on  the  subject.  There  is  a  group  of  valuable 
books  on  historic  furniture,  intended  chiefly  for 
the  connoisseur,  and  another  group  of  practical 
books,  which  either  give  nothing  on  the  historic 
side  or  deal  with  expensive  furnishings.  Miss 
Quinn  has  written  a  book  between  these  two 
classes,  with  a  statement  of  principles  and  a 
rapid  review  of  historic  furniture  because  these 
are  necessary  as  a  basis,  but  with  the  practical 
side  of  details,  directions,  and  prices  that  will 
assist  the  buyer  of  average  means.  Giving  prices 
is  always  a  difficult  matter,  and  usually  brings 
criticism,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the  possible 
range  of  prices  is  of  the  first  importance  to  the 
average  purchaser.  Perhaps  the  main  purpose 
of  the  book  is  to  show  that  the  family  whose 
purse  is  slim  can  nevertheless  have  a  beautiful 
setting  if  intelligence,  interest,  a  reasonable 
amount  of  time,  and  the  knowledge  this  book 
gives  can  be  added  to  the  money  available. 

Isabel  Ely  Lord. 
Pratt  Institute. 


PLANNING    AND 
FURNISHING    THE    HOME 


PLANNING   AND 
FURNISHING  THE    HOME 


BUILDING   THE   HOUSE 

THE  home-maker  who  is  fortunate  enough  to  be 
able  to  build  the  home  cannot  be  too  persist- 
ent with  questions  about  everything  concerning 
the  construction  of  a  house.  There  are  a  multitude 
of  details  that  must  be  faced  before  the  first 
spadeful  of  earth  is  turned.  Every  member  of  the 
family  should  express  his  ideas  and  desires,  and 
every  need  and  limitation  and  possibility  of  the 
family  life  should  be  considered  before  a  site  is 
chosen  or  plans  drafted. 

If  part  of  the  family  go  to  and  from  work 
each  day,  it  is  necessary  to  be  near  the  station 
or  trolley.  If  there  are  children  of  school  age, 
it  is  imperative  to  select  a  community  which 
has  good  schools.  If  doctors'  bills  are  to  be 
avoided,  the  prospective   builder  will  do  well  to 


2  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

consider  the  purity  of  the  water-supply,  the 
drainage   possibiHties,  and  the  sewage  disposal. 

Are  the  taxes  high?  Are  the  water,  gas,  and 
electric-light  rates  high?  In  two  adjoining  sub- 
urban towns  not  far  from  New  York,  one  has 
gas  costing  eighty  cents  a  thousand  feet,  in  the 
other  gas  costing  $1.50  a  thousand  feet.  Water 
and  electric-light  rates  differ  similarly.  The  cost 
of  these  necessities  is  twice  as  much  in  one 
suburb  as  in  the  other,  and  with  no  difference  in 
value  received. 

Are  your  grocer  and  butcher  near?  Is  fuel 
easy  of  delivery?  Is  the  land  ready  for  build- 
ing? How  much  draining,  grading,  and  road- 
building  will  be  required  ?  Is  the  soil  good 
for  gardening  and  trees  and  shrubs?  A  small 
augur  which  can  be  purchased  in  any  well- 
stocked  hardware  store  will  bore  the  depth  of  a 
cellar  and  reveal  the  soil  as  gravel,  sand,  clay,  or 
sometimes  tin-can-and-rubbish-fillcd-in  land.  It 
is  always  advisable  to  make  this  test  of  the 
soil,  even  when  the  neighborhood  is  a  familiar 
one. 

Who  are  your  neighbors?  What  are  the  restric- 
tions? ,Will  the  site  grow  more  valuable — that  is, 
will  it  be  a  good  investment  ?  Ask  these  questions, 
then  weigh  your  purse.  The  amount  of  money 
you  have  to  put  in  the  building  of  your  house  will 
to  some  extent  detennine  the  selection  of  a  site. 
Also  for  most  people  there  are  sentimental 
preferences,   or  business  or  professional  reasons 


BUILDING  THE  HOUSE  3 

that  urge  the  selection  of   one   site   rather  than 
another. 

From  the  very  beginning  it  is  well  to  have  the 
advice  of  a  good  architect,  for  few  experienced 
laymen  can  make  plans  and  specifications  and 
adequately  direct  the  construction  of  a  house.  The 
.architect's  charge  is  usually  about  six  per  cent,  of 
the  cost  of  building.  This  includes  suggestions,  and 
consideration  of  site,  sketches  of  plans,  and  ele- 
vations to  be  submitted  for  criticism  and  sugges- 
tion, the  final  finished  plans  and  specifications, 
and  the  supervision  of  the  building  construction. 
The  architect  assumes  responsibility  for  materials 
and  workmanship  meeting  the  specifications. 

Usually,  architects  require  a  payment  in  advance 
or  an  agreement  to  pay  for  work  done  on  plans,  in 
the  event  of  a  change  being  made,  and  the  con- 
tract given  to  another  architect.  It  is  also  well 
to  have  an  agreement  as  to  time  of  completion  and 
the  payments  to  be  made  during  the  progress  of 
building.  Do  not  engage  an  architect  because  he  is 
the  friend  of  a  friend  or  because  you  have  heard 
that  he  is  successful.  He  ma^^  have  built  a 
beautiful  church  or  theater  and  yet  be  entirely 
inefficient  as  the  designer  of  a  house.  Select  an 
architect  who  has  specialized  in  building  houses, 
and  then  make  sure  of  the  integrity  of  his  work  by 
a  personal  inspection  of  houses  he  has  planned. 
Go  over  houses  that  he  has  built  if  possible. 
Explain  your  needs  and  ideas  and  preferences  to 
him. 
2 


4  PLANNLNG  THE  HOiME 

The  layman  can  be  of  much  help  to  the 
architect  by  fitting  himself  for  intelligent  co- 
operation. The  man  of  the  family  knows  his 
own  needs  better  than  any  architect,  and  his  wife 
knows  them  better  than  he.  It  is  a  poor  house 
that  has  been  built  without  a  good  housekeeper's 
criticism  or  without  careful  consideration  of  her 
needs.  Together  the  house-builder  and  the 
housekeeper  should  go  through  new  houses  and 
houses  in  process  of  construction  with  a  critical 
eye  and  an  inquiring  mind.  They  should  each 
keep  a  note-book  in  which  they  jot  down  the  ideas 
and  suggestions  as  they  arise.  It  is  foolish  to 
intmst  these  to  memory. 

Ix)ng  before  the  time  comes  to  build  the 
home  -  makers  should  be  preparing  themselves 
by  gathering  from  magazines,  catalogues,  and 
even  from  newspapers,  clippings  of  plans,  ele- 
vations, and  photographs  of  houses  outside  and 
in.  A  portfolio  into  which  to  slip  each  bit  as 
it  comes  along  makes  collecting  easy. 

The  collection  should  also  include  furniture, 
decoration,  kitchen  equipment,  anything  and 
everytliing  that  would  be  suitable  for  the  new 
house.  When  the  time  draws  near  for  building 
these  should  be  sorted  out  and  notes  made  for 
the  architect.  The  clipjjings  themselves  should 
be  shown  to  the  architect  for  any  detail,  for  it  is 
hard  to  describe  in  any  but  picture  form  the 
effect  you  wish  to  get  in  building. 

When  it  is  not  possible  to  have  an  architect  one 


BUILDING  THE  HOUSE  5 

must  be  sure  to  have  an  honest  local  builder  who 
is  a  good  workman  in  charge  of  the  building. 
This  has  advantages  and  disadvantages.  The 
local  builder  knows  what  materials  are  easily- 
available,  how  to  get  them  to  the  ground,  and 
where  to  find  capable  workmen.  He  also  has 
realized  in  his  community  the  pride  and  profit 
of  good  work  and  the  penalty  of  poor  work. 

He  frequently  has  the  disad\^antage  of  being 
ignorant  of  new  building  processes  and  of  the 
possibilities  and  adaptations  of  materials  he  has 
not  tried.  What  he  does  know  well  should  be 
utilized.  A  strong,  well-built  house  is  the  ideal 
of  every  honest  builder.  But  such  a  builder 
cannot  be  held  responsible  for  poor  arrangements, 
for  badly  proportioned  rooms  and  doors  and 
windows,  for  wasted  space  or  lack  of  closet-room. 

It  is  difficult  for  most  people  to  see  from 
drawings  and  plans  what  the  finished  house  will 
really  look  like,  but  it  is  not  difficult  to  make  a 
small  cardboard  or  paper  model  to  scale,  in  accu- 
rate proportions  with  window  and  door  spaces, 
^•hieh  will  give  an  idea  of  the  appearance  of  the 
outside  of  the  house.  Then,  too,  it  is  helpful  to 
make  a  floor-plan  and  place  inside  walls  of  card- 
board with  doors  and  fireplace,  and  then  to  im- 
agine yourself  going  from  room  to  room. 

This  is  also  a  great  help  in  planning  the  placing 
of  furniture  in  each  room.  It  will  call  attention  to 
poor  arrangement  of  rooms,  or  circulation,  to  use 
the  architects'  term.     It  will  call  attention  to 


6  PLANNING  THE  HOWE 

wall-spaces  and  to  the  placing  of  windows  or  doors. 
Only  too  often  houses  are  built  with  bedrooms 
that  have  not  the  right  wall-space  for  bed  and 
dressing-table,  and  with  halls  or  closets — even 
rooms — that  need  more  light  and  better  venti- 
lation. 

Of  course,  the  need  for  keeping  within  a  definite 
sum  of  money  comes  up  throughout  the  planning 
and  building,  and  it  should  be  squarely  faced 
at  the  beginning.  A  great  many  misunder- 
standings and  disappointments  will  be  avoided  if, 
before  any  plans  are  made,  one-fourth  of  the 
entire  amount  that  may  be  used  for  building  is 
set  aside,  temporarily  forgotten,  and  left  to  meet 
the  many  details  and  small  adjustments  and 
changes  which  continually  arise  in  the  building 
of  a  house.  The  other  three-fourths  is  then  to 
be  the  outside  sum  to  be  given  the  architect. 
He  plans  for  this,  and  then  when  the  time  comes, 
as  it  surely  will,  that  the  home-maker  asks  for 
some  change,  there  is  a  reserve  fund  to  provide 
for  the  payment  of  it. 

When  the  amount  to  be  si)ent  has  been  decided 
upon  and  the  site  selected,  go  over  the  land  and 
consider  every  part  of  it  as  a  possible  site.  The 
size  of  the  lot  helps  to  determine  the  proportions 
of  the  building.  The  house  should  be  placed  to 
get  as  much  light,  and  sunshine  as  possible. 
Trees  and  any  natural  beauty  should  be  pre- 
served and  emphasized.  Rocks  and  irregular 
sloping  land  with  trees  and  shrubbery  offer  oppor- 


BUILDING  THE  HOUSE  7 

tunities  for  successful  placing  of  an  informal 
house,  with  irregular  gables  and  casement  win- 
dows, for  curving  walks  and  winding  approaches. 
A  steep  slope  may  be  utilized  for  a  convenient 
laundry  entrance  from  the  cellar,  or  for  terraced 
gardens  or  flower  beds.  A  flat  country  lends  it- 
self to  a  more  formal  type  of  Colonial  or  Renais- 
sance arrangement. 

Near  the  larger  cities  there  is  a  wide  range  of 
building  materials,  and  there  are  competent  work- 
men available.  It  is  always  cheaper  to  use 
materials  near  at  hand  or  easy  of  transportation, 
and  thus  to  develop  the  type  of  house  best  suited 
to  the  materials  and  workmanship  available  in 
the  community. 

Houses,  like  people,  must  have  something  in 
common  to  be  able  to  live  together  harmoniously. 
An  informal  rambling  cottage  on  a  flat  flower- 
bordered  lawn  would  be  incongruous  and  dis- 
turbing among  plain  Colonial  neighbors.  But 
the  simpler  the  house  the  easier  it  will  agree 
with  everything  about  it — ^and  usually  with  every- 
body within  it. 


II 

WHICH   HOUSE    SHALL   IT   BE? 

WHAT  cliilJ  has  not  passed  through  the  stage 
of  walking  back  and  forth  from  school  and 
guessing  at  the  number  of  rooms  in  a  house  as 
counted  by  the  windows  and  doors?  And  how 
attractive  bay-windows  and  donner-windows 
seemed !  A  center  tower  in  the  roof,  a  cupola  with 
windows  to  all  points  of  the  compass,  reached  the 
apex  of  youthful  arcliitectural  ambitions. 

But  the  years  bring  a  recognition  of  the  needs 
of  every-day  living.  The  house  of  romantic  fan- 
cies is  rebuilt  into  a  house  reserved  in  architec- 
ture, suitable  to  its  surroundings,  and  beautiful 
within  its  limitations  of  style;  a  worthier  stand- 
ard for  measuring  both  the  inside  and  outside  of  a 
successful  house. 

Fortunately,  every  one's  preference  becomes 
generally  defined,  at  least  so  that  it  is  not  neces- 
sary on  the  eve  of  planning  a  house  to  amble  back 
and  forth,  trying  to  decide  whether  the  venture  or 
adventure  of  building  shall  take  the  form  of  a 
Colonial  or  a  half-timbered,  a  Renaissance  or  bun- 
galow type  of  architecture. 


COLONIAL    (upper) 
DUTCH   COLONIAL    (lOWER) 


WHICH   HOUSE   SHALL   IT  BE  ?  g 

Each  has  much  to  be  said  for  it.  The  siiitability 
of  one  or  the  other  depends  on  the  kind  of  land, 
the  trees  and  background,  the  neighboring  houses, 
the  available  building-material,  and  the  manner  of 
living,  as  well  as  on  the  fa.mily's  likes  and  disHkes. 

The  Colonial  house  has  many  successful  proto- 
types, and  in  the  eastern  part  of  this  country  has 
sentimental  and  historic  associations.  Its  charm 
lies  in  its  simplicity  and  the  beauty  of  its  propor- 
tions. 

There  are  three  styles  of  Colonial  houses:  the 
New  England,  with  simple  gable-roof;  the  Dutch 
Colonial  type,  to  be  found  around  New  York,  on 
Long  Island,  and  in  New  Jersey,  with  gambrel- 
roof  and  stolid  proportions ;  and  the  more  elegant 
and  pretentious  Southern  Colonial,  wdth  broad 
front  gable  and  Colonial  portico.  The  New  Eng- 
land Colonial  house  is  usually  rectangular  in  shape, 
w^th  windows  symmetrically  spaced  on  either  side 
of  a  central  front  door.  The  roof  has  a  gable  at 
each  end. 

The  appearance  of  the  chimneys  from  the  out- 
side of  the  house  should  be  considered.  They 
should  be  placed  to  emphasize  the  symmetrical 
balance  of  the  door  and  windows.  A  small  Colo- 
nial house  which  is  built  on  a  flat  stretch  of  coun- 
try has  a  chimney  at  one  end,  and  the  impression 
the  house  gives  when  smoke  arises  from  the  chim- 
ney is  of  a  locomotive  steaming  across  the  lot. 
The  owner  hopes  that  the  tall  Normandy  poplars 
which  have  been  planted  near  the  gable  end  of  the 


lo  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

house  opposite  the  chimney  will  soon  grow  tall 
enough  to  balance  the  height  of  the  chim- 
ney. 

The  door  is  an  important  feature  of  the  Colonial 
house.  Here  much  of  the  decoration  centers,  and 
one  cannot  do  better  than  copy  one  of  the  many 
fine  doors  from  one  of  the  old  houses.  It  may  be  a 
very  simple  door  with  beautifully  proportioned 
panels,  or  one  of  the  more  elaborate  doors  sur- 
mounted by  a  semicircular  lunette,  with  lead- 
paneled  glass,  and  with  panels  of  leaded  glass  on 
either  side  of  the  door.  The  manufacturers  of 
interior  trim,  window-frames,  and  doors  are  mak- 
ing very  good  reproductions  of  Colonial  details. 
Decoration  should  always  be  placed  at  points  of 
use,  and  emphasize  the  use,  and  the  door  of  beau- 
tiful decorative  detail,  emphasizing  as  it  does  the 
main  entrance  to  the  house,  is  fundamentally 
sound  in  design. 

The  windows  are  usually  broad,  the  window- 
frame  itself  simple  in  design.  Small  panes  of  glass 
may  be  more  difficult  to  clean,  but  they  add  im- 
measurably to  the  beauty  and  interest  of  both  the 
exterior  and  the  interior.  The  wide  clapboards 
so  attractive  in  the  old  houses  have  been  revived, 
but  the  narrower  weather-board  also  gives  the 
same  simple  and  austere  impression  to  the  exterior 
of  the  house. 

The  gambrel-roof  and  the  broader  proportions 
of  the  Dutch  Colonial  house  make  it  less  austere 
than  its  New  England  neighbor.     Like  the  up- 


WHICH  HOUSE  SHALL  IT  BE  ?  ii 

turned  hull  of  a  ship  of  one  of  the  Dutch  sea-cap- 
tains, it  seems  to  inclose  the  house  with  a  more 
amiable  exterior.  The  projecting  second  story,  so 
frequently  seen  in  the  old  Dutch  Long  Island 
houses,  is  a  relic  of  the  day  when  there  were  no 
gutters  to  carry  off  the  rain,  and  the  projection 
protected  the  foundation  from  damage  by  water 
from  the  roof. 

The  squat  sturdy  character  of  the  Dutch 
Colonial  house  should  be  emphasized,  otherwise 
the  gambrel-roof  is  Hkely  to  give  the  house  a  top- 
heavy  appearance. 

The  Southern  Colonial  type  of  house  must  needs 
be  large  and  spacious,  or  its  dignity  will  lose  itself 
in  a  box-like  structure  with  a  meaningless  monu- 
mental pillared  entrance. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  look  about  the  average 
American  city  at  the  conglomerations  of  archi- 
tecture with  broken  roof  lines,  ill-balanced  win- 
dows and  doors  in  great  varieties  of  shape  and 
construction,  to  reaUze  how  superior  are  the  fine 
simple  structure  and  good  proportions  of  the 
Colonial  type  of  architecture. 

Inside  the  Colonial  house  the  arrangement  of 
rooms  must  necessarily  be  somewhat  symmetrical 
and  formal.  A  hall  with  stairs  in  the  center  and 
rooms  on  either  side  is  the  usual  arrangement  of 
the  Colonial  house  plan.  On  one  side  of  the  hall 
there  may  be  the  living-room  with  a  fireplace  at 
the  side  or  one  end  of  the  room,  and  on  the  other 
side  of  the  hall  the  dining-room,  with  butler's 


12  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

pantry  leading  to  the  kitchen  in  the  wing  at  the 
back  of  the  house. 

A  plan  which  offers  many  advantages  for  sub- 
urban life,  particularly  if  there  is  a  large  build- 
ing-plot with  an  attractive  view  or  garden  in  the 
rear,  has  the  kitchen  on  the  front,  separated  from 
the  front  hall  by  a  narrow  hall  inclosing  the  so- 
called  back  stairs.  This  ball  prevents  the  kitchen 
odors  from  reaching  the  main  center  hall  and  also 
gives  a  convenient  access  from  the  kitchen  to  up- 
stairs as  well  as  to  the  front  door.  The  butler's 
pantry  connects  the  kitchen  with  the  dining-room 
which  is  at  the  back  of  the  house.  The  dining- 
room  overlooks  the  garden,  and  there  may  be  an 
adjoining  porch  for  dining  out  of  doors. 

The  h\ing-room  extends  through  the  other  side 
of  the  house,  with  wide  entrance  behind  the  hall  to 
the  dining-room  and  with  doors  leading  to  the 
back  porch  and  garden.  The  stairway  in  the 
main  hall  does  not  extend  to  the  back  of  the  house, 
as  there  must  be  a  wide  space  for  entrance  from 
living-room  to  dining-room.  This  eight  or  ten 
feet  square  may  be  used  for  a  writing-room  or 
small  library  alcove  of  living-room. 

The  frequent  criticism  that  a  Colonial  house  is 
stiff  and  formal  for  the  informal  American  manner 
of  living  is  contradicted  by  the  adaptations  of 
exterior  and  the  many  different  interior  arrange- 
ments that  are  possible  if  the  individual  needs  of 
the  family  life  are  seriously  considered  and  in- 
cluded in  the  planning  of  the  house. 


WHICH  HOUSE  SHALL  IT  BE?  13 

However,  a  Colonial  type  of  house  is  not  suit- 
able for  all  places.  A  rugged,  pine-tree-covered 
mountainside  needs  a  more  picturesque  and  ir- 
regular architecture.  But  for  a  city  or  suburban 
house,  in  flat  or  rolling  country,  the  simplicity  and 
severe  dignity  of  a  Colonial  house  has  a  distinction 
that  is  sadly  lacking  in  the  more  so-called  original 
architecture  of  our  American  cities  and  towns. 

The  English  style  of  half-timbered  plaster  house 
is  an  adaptable  style  of  architecture.  It  may  be 
s>TTLmetrical  or  irregular  in  exterior  and  interior 
plan.  Its  chief  charm  depends  on  the  contrast 
and  variety  of  materials  used  and  the  rambling 
and  irregular  plan  of  both  elevation  and  inte- 
rior. 

In  the  English  half-timbered  house  the  second 
story  is  usually  higher  than  the  lower  and  fre- 
quently extends  over  it.  The  roofs  are  steep- 
gabled,  with  groups  of  dormer-windows.  In 
Elizabethan  days  the  beams  which  formed  the 
main  structural  uprights  of  the  house  were  great 
trunks  of  oak-trees,  placed  root-end  up  to  sup- 
port the  overhanging  eaves  and  protect  the 
foundation  from  undermining  by  heavy  rains. 
The  uprights  were  strengthened  by  vertical  and 
diagonal  intersections  of  oak  beams.  The  spaces 
between  these  were  filled  in  with  plaster.  The 
roofs  were  of  thatch  or  slate,  and  the  whole 
effect  of  the  exterior  of  the  house  was  of  strength 
and  picturesqueness.  With  our  modem  develop- 
ment of  construction  the  beams  arc  no  longer  an 


14  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

essential  part  of  the  structural  frame  of  the  house, 
but  are  retained  for  their  decorative  features. 

The  most  attractive  feature  of  the  English  style 
of  house  lies  in  the  possibilities  it  offers  for  in- 
fonnal  arrangements  and  adaptations  of  both 
exterior  and  interior.  Rooms  may  be  planned  in 
size  and  proportion  according  to  their  needs,  in 
irregular  arrangement  and  with  easy  communica- 
tion between  them,  and  the  elevation  be  made  to 
grow  up  naturally  from  the  floor-plan. 

There  is  something  especially  pleasing  in  the 
irregular  arrangement  of  windows  and  groups  of 
windows  in  the  EngUsh  style  of  house.  Casement- 
windows  and  projecting  dormer-mndows  with 
leaded  glass  have  a  charm  and  domesticity  which 
adds  to  the  beauty  of  both  the  exterior  and  the 
interior  of  the  house. 

The  English  style  of  architecture  is  not  adap- 
table for  the  formal  streets  of  the  average  Amer- 
ican city,  nor  is  it  suitable  for  a  narrow  space  of  a 
small  building-lot.  It  needs  an  expanse  of  lawns 
with  gardens  and  carefully  planned  shrubbery  and 
trees  to  give  it  an  amiable  setting  for  its  pictu- 
resque irregularity. 

The  Renaissance  type  of  house  is  growing  in 
favor  with  those  who  appreciate  the  large,  simple 
proportions  and  distinctive  formality  of  the  Ital- 
ian influence.  The  tile  roofs  and  stucco  exte- 
rior aflEord  an  opportunity  for  color  and  contrast 
hitherto  neglected  in  our  domestic  architecture. 

The  floor-plan  is  usually  rectangular  or  square 


HOUSE   SHOWING  ENGLISH   INFLUENCE    (uPPER) 
HOUSE    SHOWING   ITALIAN    INFLUENCE    (LOWER) 


WHICH  HOUSE  SHALL  IT  BE  ?  15 

in  shape.  The  windows  are  symmetrically  ar- 
ranged. Those  in  the  lower  floor  are  uniform  in 
size  and  are  usually  larger  than  the  windows  on 
the  second  floor.  An  interesting  variation  to  the 
rectangular  lines  of  the  main  structure  occurs  in 
the  arched  doorway  or  windows.  A  garden  in 
formal  Italian  style  makes  an  effective  approach 
or  background  to  a  house  of  this  style. 

The  interior  plan  requires  a  rather  formal  ar- 
rangement of  rooms,  placed  according  to  the 
proportion  and  size  of  the  floor-plan. 

The  bungalow  is  the  mushroom  of  American 
architecture.  Its  inforaial  arrangement  is  espe- 
cially adapted  for  small  country  houses,  of  one 
story,  with  perhaps  a  room  or  two  with  dormer- 
windows  under  the  roof  inclosure.  It  is  particu- 
larly suitable  for  mountains  or  hilly  country  with 
trees  and  rocks,  and  needs  a  varied  background 
to  counteract  the  irregularities  of  structural  form. 

Any  style  of  architecture  may  be  chosen  which 
allows  adaptations  to  the  special  needs  of  the 
family  and  is  in  harmony  with  the  character  of 
the  surrounding  country  and  adjoining  houses. 

But  there  are  distinctive  proportions  that  are 
fundamental  to  each  style.  Many  variations  of 
details  are  possible,  but  a  violation  of  the  main 
essential  features  will  result  in  a  mongrel  type  of 
architecture.  Photographs  of  the  old  houses  and 
palaces  from  which  the  modem  types  of  good 
domestic  architecture  have  evolved,  are  available 
through  magazines  and  photographs  and  pubHc 


1 6  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

libraries.  A  study  of  these  ^^ill  develop  an  appre- 
ciation and  critical  judgment  of  what  is  good  in 
architecture. 

The  range  of  building-materials  now  available 
gives  scope  for  variety  and  interesting  combina- 
tions hitherto  impossible.  Our  diminishing  forests 
will  eventually  limit  the  supply  of  wood,  but  the 
possibiHties  of  brick,  concrete,  and  stucco  building 
are  developing  each  year. 

Frame  houses  and  wood  construction  offer  very 
few  advantages.  However,  the  initial  cost  of 
building  is  smaller  than  either  brick  or  concrete. 
The  frame  house  also  is  more  adaptable  than  the 
brick  or  concrete  house.  It  can  be  enlarged  or 
changed  with  less  labor  and  expense  than  the 
brick  or  concrete  house. 

But  these  are  the  only  advantages.  The  frame 
house  is  shorter-lived.  It  is  in  prime  condition 
for  only  the  first  eight  or  ten  years  after  it  is  built. 
After  that  its  value  decreases.  Repairs  are  con- 
tinually necessary.  It  should  be  repainted  on  an 
average  of  every  four  years  at  least,  varying  ac- 
cording to  the  climate.  Both  the  labor  and  the 
paint-materials  are  expensive.  Insurance  rates  arc 
higher  for  frame  houses  than  for  brick  or  concrete 
construction.  In  ten  years  the  cost  of  upkec]) 
plus  the  difference  in  insurance  rates  will  probably 
(.;qual  the  original  difference  in  cost  between  the 
frame  and  concrete  or  brick  house. 

A  frame  house  is  also  likely  to  be  wanner  in 
summer  and  colder  in  winter.    It  would  seem  that 


WHICH  HOUSE  SHALL  IT  BE  ?  17 

there  were  little  to  be  said  in  its  favor,  but  in  a 
large  part  of  the  country  it  is  much  less  expensive 
to  build,  and  this  must  needs  be  the  deciding 
factor  with  many  prospective  home-builders.  The 
difference  in  cost  of  wood  construction  varies 
greatly  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  according 
to  the  proximity  of  timber-land. 

Brick  as  a  building-material  has  hundi-eds  of 
years  of  satisfactory  service  for  its  recommenda- 
tion. Although  it  admits  of  fewer  structural  varia- 
tions than  wood  construction,  it  is  far  more  per- 
manent. The  insurance  rates  are  less.  It  is  cooler 
in  summer  and  wanner  in  winter.  The  decorative 
possibiHties  of  brick  building  have  developed  rap- 
idly both  in  the  brick  masonry  and  in  the  color 
and  quaHty  of  the  brick  itself.  The  skilful  brick- 
mason  can  add  much  to  the  decorative  effect  of  a 
house  by  variations  in  the  arrangement  of  the 
brick.  The  checkerboard  pattern  makes  an  inter- 
esting wall  when  contrasted  to  full-length  brick 
laid  in  cornices,  and  over  doors  and  windows. 
Stone  facing  is  a  decorative  addition  to  a  brick 
wall.  A  wall  of  tapestry  brick,  with  mottled 
color  from  over-firing,  gives  an  interesting  color 
pattern.  These  variations  of  brickwork  require 
masonry  of  a  high  degree  of  skill,  and  shoidd  not 
be  intiiistcd  to  the  average  workman. 

Concrete  construction  has  developed  by  leaps 
and  bounds,  until  now  it  not  only  offers  peiina- 
nence  and  adaptability,  but  it  is  an  available 
process  of  building  throughout  the  country.     It 


i8  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

offers  very  interesting  architectural  and  decorative 
possibilities.  A  few  years  ago  concrete  had  the 
disadvantage  of  absorbing  moisture,  and  a  con- 
crete house  was  very  likely  to  be  a  damp  house. 
But  the  best  concrete  now  on  the  market  is  mois- 
ture-proof. The  hollow-tile  construction,  the  last 
word  in  concrete  building,  is  permanent,  fire-proof, 
and  adaptable  to  many  variations  of  architecture. 
The  poured  concrete  houses  are  usually  clumsy 
and  of  ugly  proportions. 

Stucco  finish  on  metal  lath  is  another  successful 
method  of  construction.  The  stucco  may  be  of 
different  colors  and  vary  from  a  rough  to  a  smooth 
troweled  finish.  Tiles  inset  at  doors  and  windows 
may  be  used  as  decorative  detail. 

The  cost  of  building-material  varies  in  the  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  country.  In  the  vicinity  of 
New  York  wood  construction  for  a  house  costing 
between  $5,000  and  $10,000  to  build  A\dll  cost 
about  18  cents  a  cubic  foot,  brick  construction 
about  22  cents,  concrete  or  stucco  21  cents  a 
cubic  foot.  In  the  Middle  Western  states  wood 
construction  for  a  house  costing  between  $5,000 
and  $10,000  to  build  will  cost  between  15  and  17 
cents  a  cubic  foot.  Brick  construction  will  cost 
about  20  cents  a  cubic  foot,  concrete  and  stucco 
about  18  to  20  cents  a  cubic  foot.  On  the  Pacific 
coast  wood  construction  for  the  satnc  house  will 
cost  between  9  and  13  cents  a  cubic  foot,  brick 
construction  will  cost  between  10  and  14  cents 
a  cubic   foot,  concrete  and  stucco  construction 


WHICH  HOUSE  SHALL  IT  BE?  19 

will  cost  between  10  and  14  cents  a  cubic 
foot. 

Availability  of  materials  and  labor  is  a  deciding 
factor.  It  would  be  reckless  and  extravagant  to 
place  the  responsibility  of  concrete  building  in  the 
hands  of  workmen  unfamiliar  wdth  its  use,  in  a 
community  where  wood  was  plentiful  and  car- 
penters skilful. 

The  details  of  the  building  have  much  to  do 
with  the  beauty  of  the  exterior  as  well  as  the 
interior  of  the  house.  Architectural  decoration 
should  emphasize  the  main  structural  lines.  It 
should  be  concentrated  at  windows,  doors,  and 
cornices,  but  unless  the  main  proportions  are  fine 
in  themselves  the  decorations  will  add  nothing, 
and  may  even  detract  from  the  eftectiveness  of 
the  house. 

Aside  from  their  ugliness,  it  is  recognized  that 
large  porches  standing  across  the  front  of  the 
house  afford  little  privacy,  and  they  also  darken 
the  adjoining  rooms.  A  porch  needs  vines  and 
shrubbery  to  relieve  the  bare  skeleton  of  its  struc- 
ture. One  built  at  the  side  or  rear  of  the  house, 
shielded  from  the  street  by  treUis  or  shrubbery, 
is  a  much  more  intimate  and  practical  luxiu-y  than 
when  in  direct  view  from  the  street. 

Trellis  or  latticework  placed  symmetrically  on 
either  side  of  doors  or  windows  is  often  a  decora- 
tive feature.  In  Germany  and  France  apple  and 
pear  trees  are  trained  on  to  garden  wall  or  trellis, 
and  are  useful  as  well  as  very  decorative.  The 
3 


20  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

more  fonnal  front-door  stoop,  or  hooded  entrance, 
has  a  reserve  that  is  suitable  for  the  main  entrance 
to  a  city  or  suburban  house.  A  seat  built  on  each 
side  of  such  an  entrance  adds  a  hospitable  touch. 

Doors  and  window-frames  which  are  well  spaced 
may  be  effectively  emphasized  if  painted  a  color 
not  too  strikingly  in  contrast  to  the  rest  of  the 
house.  A  small  Long  Island  Dutch  Colonial  house 
has  a  gambrel-roof  extending  low  over  the  one 
story  of  its  front  elevation.  The  house  is  painted 
a  dull  gray  color,  and  the  roof  has  the  weather- 
colored  shingles.  The  front  door,  trimly  inclosed 
between  two  low  box-trees,  is  painted  a  bright 
yellow  color.  A  thick  box-hedge  at  the  street  has 
a  low  gate  painted  in  the  same  bright  yellow  color 
as  the  door.  The  close-cut  lawns  and  cinder- walk 
add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  place. 

The  grouping  of  shrubbery  and  plants  about  a 
house  serves  to  connect  the  house  with  the  adjoin- 
ing land  and  to  lessen  the  severe  outline  of  foun- 
dation. Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  favor  of 
discriminating  gardening.  Plants  and  shrubber}- 
blooming  at  different  times  can  pro\'ide  color  from 
early  spring  to  freezing  weather.  Varied-colored 
foliage  and  careful  grouping  of  flowers  of  many 
colors  have  unlimited  decorative  possibilities. 

The  interior  finish  of  the  house  should  be  car- 
ried out  in  the  character  of  the  architecture. 
Painted  or  enameled  woodwork,  ivory  color,  or 
gray,  or  tan  to  hamionize  with  the  color  scheme  of 
the  house.     AVood  i:)anchng  and  wainscot  should 


WHICH  HOUSE  SHALL  IT  BE  ?  21 

be  fine  in  proportion  and  finish,  but  it  is  rather 
expensive  for  the  average  house.  It  is  especiall}'' 
suitable  for  dining-room  and  halL  The  stairs  and 
stair-rail  should  have  the  same  refinement  of 
design  as  the  rest  of  the  woodwork.  The  spindles 
are  usually  painted  in  the  color  of  the  woodwork, 
with  banister  of  mahogany. 

The  mantel  of  the  Colonial  house  is  a  distinctive 
feature.  It  is  usually  of  wood  in  the  same  color 
as  the  woodwork,  and  should  be  of  simple  beau- 
tiful proportions. 

Rough  plastered  wall  and  beamed  ceilings  and 
dark  woodwork  belong  in  houses  of  the  English 
half-timbered  style.  Ingle-nook  fireplaces  -^^ith 
built-in  seats  are  only  suitable  for  the  infonnal 
interior  of  this  type  of  house.  vStairs  and  stair-rail 
should  be  of  the  same  dark  wood  and  similar  in 
character  to  the  rest  of  the  woodwork. 

Built-in  furniture  of  seats  and  china-closets  or 
drawers  are  always  questionable.  The  work  of  a 
cabinet-maker  should  go  into  the  making  of  fur- 
niture, and  the  built-in  furniture  made  by  the 
average  carpenter  is  usually  crude  and  clumsy. 

The  yellow  varnished  woodwork  and  elaborate 
cabinet-mantels  which  are  put  into  many  of  the 
houses  of  cheap  construction  are  always  ugly  in 
color,  and  almost  impossible  to  combine  harmo- 
niously with  any  furnishings.  The  tops  of  cabinet 
mantels  can  easily  be  removed.  The  varnish  can 
be  taken  off,  and  the  mantel  and  woodwork 
painted. 


2«  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

There  are  many  beautiful  tiles  on  the  market 
which  can  be  used  effectively  in  the  fireplace. 
The  Moravian  tiles  are  lovely  in  color,  and  quite 
inexpensive.  The  Mercer  tiles,  made  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, come  in  beautiful  colors  and  glazes,  and, 
while  they  are  rather  expensive,  they  add  a 
charming  decorative  touch  to  the  fireplace.  The 
Grueby  tiles  are  also  soft  in  color  and  interesting 
for  the  fireplace. 

The  placing  of  lights  and  the  design  of  lighting- 
fixtures  are  features  too  often  neglected  in  the 
planning  of  a  house.  Side-lights  are  usually 
more  attractive  and  useful  than  ceiling  lights. 
Sockets  should  be  placed  in  baseboard  of  a  living- 
room  and  bedroom  or  Hbrary  for  table-lamps  or 
for  movable  reading-lamps. 

The  hardware,  hinges,  door-knobs,  and  han- 
dles, as  well  as  the  lighting  -  fixtures,  should  be 
carefully  selected.  There  are  many  designs  in 
hardware  and  lighting-fixtures,  and  it  is  not  diffi- 
cult to  find  those  similar  and  suitable  to  the  style 
of  the  architecture. 

It  is  very  essential  that  there  be  a  unity  in  the 
exterior  and  interior  appearance  of  a  house.  Noth- 
ing should  be  left  to  the  selection  of  the  builder. 
Careful  consideration  of  all  the  details  of  finish 
in  relation  to  the  style  of  architecture  \vill  help 
one  to  choose  wisely,  and  the  result  will  be  one  of 
permanent  and  increasing  satisfaction. 


Ill 

RENTING   A   HOUSE    OR   AN   APARTMENT 

THERE  is  SO  much  uncertainty  connected  with 
finding  a  desirable  house  or  an  apartment  or  a 
flat  to  rent  that  the  element  of  choice  adds  keen- 
ness to  the  first  few  days  of  search.  But  day 
after  day  of  climbing  up-stairs  and  down,  refusing 
bad  plumbing,  poor  floors,  dark  rooms,  and  ques- 
tionable neighbors  will  chill  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  most  optimistic  house-hunter. 

The  most  important  requirement  is  a  place  with 
fresh  air  and  sunlight,  and  it  is  fortunate  that  the 
value  of  land  does  not  control  air  and  Hght  in 
all  our  cities.  Apartments  and  houses  are  built, 
even  in  large  cities,  with  all  outside  rooms. 
Nothing  is  more  precious  for  health  and  good 
spirits  than  srmHght  and  air,  A  lonely  child  giv- 
ing her  impression  of  a  woman  of  great  nobility 
and  sweetness  of  character,  said,  "She  is  like  sun- 
light coming  in  through  the  shutters."  An}^  one 
who  has  lived  in  a  gray  rainy  country  or  in  a  dark 
house  will  testify  that  light  and  sunshine  are 
inseparably  connected  with  buoyancy  of  spirits 
and  courage.    Any  doctor  will  testify  that  dark- 


24  PLANNING  THE  HOAIE 

ness  and  dampness  are  first  aids  to  disease.  Even 
with  rigorous  medical  super\asion  germs  are  left 
in  dark  rooms  of  many  a  house  or  apartment  to 
be  multiplied  into  infection  for  the  innocent  and 
the  unsuspecting  new  tenants.  And  how  many 
cases  there  are  which  are  without  careful  medical 
supervision!  Marl^le  entrance-halls  with  oriental 
rugs  and  smart  Hveried  elevator-boj^s  do  not 
compensate  for  a  lack  of  sunshine,  proper  ventila- 
tion, and  good  plumbing. 

Light,  sunshine,  and  air  are  necessary  in  both 
town  and  country,  but  there  are  many  considera- 
tions of  renting  wliich  differ  according  to  whether 
one  is  renting  in  a  city,  a  small  town,  or  a  rural 
community.  In  a  small  town,  or  in  a  community 
where  land  is  not  valuable,  but  where  it  is  difficult 
to  hire  help,  one  must  he  careful  not  to  acquire 
too  much  room  with  the  corresponding  too  much 
work. 

Although  it  is  often  possible  to  get  a  big  ram- 
bling house  with  large  rooms  and  high  ceilings  and 
wide  halls  for  less  rent  than  a  small  compact  house 
or  a  well-planned  and  cared-for  apartment,  the 
work  of  keeping  up  the  larger  house,  the  looking 
after  porches,  shutters,  cellar,  and  attic,  and  the 
cost  of  heating  would  make  it  much  more  expen- 
sive than  the  higher  initial  rent  of  the  smaller 
house  or  apai-tment.  On  the  other  hand,  in  a 
large  city  more  space,  and  even  the  effect  of  more 
space,  which  may  be  secured  by  arrangement  of 
rooms  and  furniture,  is  to  be  sought  for  in  an 


RENTING  THE  HOUSE  OR  APARTMENT  25 

apartment  or  flat  for  restfulness  and  relief  from 
crowded  streets  and  the  multitudinous  layers  of 
match-box  homes. 

In  a  small  i^lace  the  water-suppl}'-,  the  drainage 
arrangements,  the  gas  and  electric  light  facilities 
are  all  to  be  questioned,  whereas  these  may  be 
taken  for  granted  and  must  be  accepted  in  a  large 
city,  where  boards  of  pubHc  works  and  health 
and  building  departments  are  active.  But  in 
large  and  small  cities  alike  the  quality  of  the 
plumbing,  the  condition  of  the  pipes,  the  acces- 
sibility of  traps  is  fundamental  and  should  always 
be  carefully  examined.  Poor  quality  of  plumbing 
and  short  cuts  in  repairing  practised  by  some 
plumbing  firms  seem  almost  as  atrocious  in  their 
possible  consequences  as  the  direct  poisoning  of 
medieval  days. 

A  succession  of  illnesses  in  one  family  was  due 
to  a  large  drain-pipe  which  a  plumber  had  cut 
and  patched  with  a  piece  of  tin  can  from  the  ash- 
barrel  soldered  over  the  opening.  It  was  traced 
by  the  bad  odor  which  arose  through  the  frag- 
ments that  remained  of  the  tin  patch.  The 
average  householder's  ignorance  of  plumbing,  and 
distrust  of  the  plumber  are  largely  responsible  for 
the  poor  quality  of  work.  When  the  builder  does 
not  realize  the  importance  of  sound  plumbing  and 
will  accept  poor  work  at  cheaper  prices  the  av- 
erage plumber  will  meet  that  demand. 

There  are  two  main  problems  in  plumbing — the 
carrying  away  of  sewage  and  the  keeping  sewer- 


26  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

gas  from  coming  through  the  pipe  into  the  house. 
The  carrying  away  of  sewage  is  by  a  system  of 
connected  pipes;  the  prevention  of  sewer-gas 
entering  the  house  is  effected  by  traps  near  each 
faucet  and  drain  and  by  the  vent-pipe  to  the 
roof.  Each  faucet  should  be  used  frequently 
enough  to  keep  the  traps  full  of  water.  Re- 
frigerators should  never  be  directly  connected 
with  pipes  leading  to  the  sewer. 

An  intelligent  plumber  can  explain  the  system 
and  problems  of  plumbing  in  a  short  time  to  one 
interested  and  curious  to  know  about  it,  and  most 
plumbers  are  very  glad  to  do  so.  Then  the 
mechanics  of  plumbing  ceases  to  be  a  mystery, 
and  intelligent  appreciation  allows  the  plumber  a 
pride  in  the  integrity  of  good  work.  One  can 
gain  a  standard  of  judgment  through  a  careful 
reading  of  the  building  and  health  laws  of  a  city 
which  requires  a  high  standard  of  sanitation,  and 
by  a  comparison  of  existing  conditions  in  other 
places  with  these  laws. 

In  renting  a  house  it  is  well  to  know  thoroughly 
the  condition  of  the  house  and  the  need  for 
repairs.  A  few  rainy  days  will  reveal  leaks  in 
roof  or  gutters,  and  prevent  a  later  loss  to  books 
or  pictures  or  rugs.  A  small  fire  may  be  built 
to  test  the  draughts  of  a  fireplace.  Furnace  and 
steam  or  hot-water  plant  should  be  accepted  only 
on  written  agreement  of  conditions  that  guarantee 
satisfaction.  In  many  cities  the  minimum  degree 
of  heat  to  be   supplied  in  an  apartment-house 


RENTING  THE  HOUSE  OR  APARTMENT  27 

or  flat  building  is  specified  by  law,  and  it 
should  always  be  included  in  the  lease.  Windows, 
doors,  shutters,  locks,  and  catches,  porches, 
fences,  and  walks  should  be  examined  and  deficien- 
cies enumerated  and  repaired  before  the  house 
is  accepted. 

An  honest  landlord  and  lessee  will  find  it  to 
mutual  advantage  to  have  a  definite  understand- 
ing of  the  conditions  which  will  govern  future 
repairs.  With  a  less  scrupulous  landlord  the 
lessee  is  at  a  decided  disadvantage  in  trying  to 
secure  even  necessary  changes  or  repairs  after  the 
lease  has  been  signed.  In  renting  from  a  com- 
pany or  -an  agent  it  is  wise  to  inquire  and  to  know 
from  those  who  have  had  experience  with  the 
company,  what  its  policies  are  in  regard  to  the 
tenants  and  their  needs.  It  is  frequently  im- 
possible to  obtain  very  necessary  repairs  from  an 
agent,  yet  the  legal  restrictions  of  the  lease  cannot 
be  broken  by  the  tenant  in  default  of  these  re- 
pairs. 

There  is  something  to  be  said  for  the  landlord. 
The  tenant  who  rents  a  house  or  apartment  knows 
the  cost  and  the  unavoidable  wear  and  tear  on 
furniture,  and  the  work  involved  in  moving,  yet 
he  is  usually  reluctant  to  pay  even  a  small  part 
of  this  cost  of  moving  to  improve  the  rented  apart- 
ment or  house.  It  is  often  economy  for  the  tenant 
to  make  repairs  of  paint  or  paper,  and  in  the  case 
of  poor  floors,  new  parquet  floors  laid  at  the  ten- 
ant's expense  will  cost  no  more  than  the  time  and 


28  PLANNING  THE   HOME 

effort  of  several  years'  cleaning  and  caring  for  old 
floors  of  poor  wood  in  bad  condition. 

The  landlord's  attitude  is  often  one  that  has 
grown  out  of  his  experience  of  careless  tenants. 
He  is  usually  willing  to  meet  the  reasonable  de- 
mands of  careful  permanent  tenants.  If  the  ten- 
ant considers  the  rented  house  or  apartment  as  a 
place  that  will  be  his  home  for  several  years  and 
attempts  to  make  it  comfortable,  convenient,  and 
attractive,  the  landlord  will  be  more  amenable  to 
demands  for  improvements. 

In  a  small  city  or  communit}''  one  knows  the 
different  sections  and  so  knows  something  of  the 
general  character  of  the  people  of  a  neighborhood. 
In  a  large  city  one  cannot  be  too  careful,  especially 
if  there  are  children  in  the  family,  to  find  out  about 
the  neighborhood,  the  other  tenants  of  the  house, 
and  the  schools  in  the  vicinity. 

In  both  small  towns  and  in  cities  one  does  well 
to  keep  off  the  much-traveled  thoroughfares.  In 
a  smaller  place  it  is  desirable  to  have  the  privacy, 
the  freedom  from  noise  and  dust  of  a  quiet  street ; 
in  a  city  one  avoids  the  elevated  roads  and  the 
streets  with  trolley-lines,  and  the  cobbled  streets 
of  the  morning  market  and  milk-wagon  traffic. 

The  top  floor  apartment  is  usually  more  desir- 
able than  those  on  lower  floors,  for  there  are  the 
advantages  of  better  air,  more  sunlight,  and  less 
noise  from  the  street.  It  is  not  possible  for  every 
one  in  a  city  to  live  near  a  park,  but  wise  parents 
will  seek  the  vicinity  of  park  and  playgrounds. 


RENTING  THE  HOUSE  OR  APARTMENT  20 

Not  only  is  there  better  air,  but  there  is  the 
opportunity  for  healthy  play  which  will  do  much 
toward  counteracting  the  difficulties  of  bringing 
up  children  in  the  city. 

Inside  the  house  or  apartment  much  can  be  done 
with  fresh  paint  and  wall-paper.  Unless  the  wood- 
work is  too  crude  and  cheap,  and  the  floors  im- 
possible, almost  any  place  can  be  transformed  with 
patience  and  good  taste  into  a  home  of  interest 
and  charm.  The  woodwork  should  be  painted 
the  same  color  throughout,  a  neutral  color,  either 
somewhat  darker  than  the  wall-paper  or  a  deep 
ivory  color  that  will  give  the  emphasis  to  the 
structural  lines  of  door  and  window.  At  the  same 
time  the  one  color  throughout  will  keep  a  uni- 
formity of  background  which  is  very  necessary 
for  the  unity  of  the  general  furnishing. 

For  the  same  reason  it  is  usually  better  to  have 
all  the  living-rooms  of  the  house  papered  with  the 
same  or  very  similar  wall-paper.  The  lighter  the 
paper  the  larger  the  rooms  appear.  When  two  or 
three  rooms  open  into  each  other  with  a  vista 
through,  light  wall-paper  and  woodwork  give  an 
impression  of  much  more  space  than  there  really 
is.  Frequently  it  is  advisable  to  pay  the  extra 
cost  of  a  more  expensive  paper  than  the  landlord 
will  provide.  The  cost  of  hanging  the  paper  is 
paid  in  either  case,  and  a  few  dollars  added  to  the 
allowance  for  papering  will  go  into  a  better  paper. 
This  is  rarely  suggested  by  landlord  or  agent,  but 
always  allowed. 


30  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

If  the  tenant  is  fortunate  enough  to  have  a 
fireplace,  the  room  should  be  planned  to  give  the 
fireplace  the  distinction  it  deserves.  There  the 
brightness  of  brass,  or  the  color  of  the  tiles,  or 
the  black  of  the  grate  and  fire-irons  emphasizes 
what  is  surely  the  most  attractive  single  feature 
a  house  can  have.  If  the  house  has  the  white  or 
black  marble  fireplace  mantel,  one  can  only  make 
the  best  of  it.  With  the  light  mantel  the  walls 
and  the  wood  must  be  kept  very  light,  repeating 
the  color  of  the  marble  in  the  woodwork  or  cur- 
tains. If  the  mantel  is  the  dark  green  or  black 
marble  the  difficulties  are  greater,  but  a  very  dark 
floor  and  woodwork  or  furniture  painted  the  color 
of  the  marble  will  help  mitigate  the  difficulties. 

Floors  show  the  wear  and  tear  and  lack  of  care 
more  than  any  other  part  of  a  rented  house. 
Even  when  previous  tenants  have  taken  excellent 
care  of  the  floors  there  has  been  the  interval  of 
moving,  with  the  dragging  of  furniture  across  and 
in.  The  nails  in  the  heavy  boots  of  the  workmen 
do  not  improve  the  floors.  Surface  scratching  on 
good  floors  will  soon  disappear  with  an  application 
of  oiling  and  waxing  and  polishing.  Floors  that 
have  been  varnished,  if  the  wood  is  in  good  condi- 
tion, should  have  the  varnish  removed,  and  the 
process  of  oiling,  waxing,  and  rubbing  will  result, 
if  one  has  patience,  in  a  floor  of  good  appearance 
"and  wearing  qualities. 

A  floor  which  is  in  splinters  from  the  use  of 
alkali  stains  and  scrubbings  may  sometimes  be 


RENTING  THE  HOUSE  OR  APARTMENT  31 

planed  down  to  a  firm,  smooth  surface.  The  ama- 
teur should  leave  this  piece  of  work  to  a  good 
carpenter.  Sometimes  if  the  floor  is  not  worth 
the  work  of  planing  it  down,  the  simplest  treat- 
ment will  be  two  good  coats  of  paint  or  good  var- 
nish. It  is  possible,  by  paying  enough,  to  get  a 
varnish  which  will  not  crack,  scratch,  or  show 
water-stains.  This  is  the  varnish  that  is  usually 
used  on  boats,  and,  while  it  is  quite  expensive,  it 
pays  if  the  floor  is  to  be  used  very  much. 

There  is  an  old  house  in  the  country  which  has 
been  made  over  into  the  summer  home  of  two  in- 
genious working- women.  The  floors  were  all  of 
wide  pine-knotted  boards  with  discouraging  cracks 
between.  They  found  that  the  expense  of  re- 
flooring  the  living-room  and  hall  made  new  floors 
in  the  dining-room  and  bedrooms  impossible  for 
the  first  few  years,  yet  they  could  not  put  up 
with  the  old  floors.  They  purchased  heavy,  tough 
wrapping-paper,  dark  in  color,  and  after  all  the 
cracks  had  .been  filled  they  papered  the  floor, 
covering  it  entirely,  using  only  ordinary  flour- 
paste.  Over  the  dining-room  floor,  when  thor- 
oughly dry,  they  put  two  coats  of  varnish;  over 
the  bedroom  and  up-stairs  hall  floors  they  put  two 
coats  of  paint.  The  results  were  not  only  good- 
looking  floors,  which  were  easily  cared  for,  but 
at  the  end  of  eight  years  the  dining-room  had  been 
revamished  only  four  times  and  the  bedrooms  and 
hall  had  been  promised  a  new  coat  of  paint  for  the 
next  season.    A  painted  border  of  floor-space  with 


32  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

a  rug  covering  the  center  of  the  floor  is  sometimes 
an  expedient  solution  of  poor  floors. 

But  whereas  floors  may  be  made  over  entirely 
or  changed  to  meet  new  requirements,  those  who 
rent  apartments  or  houses  usually  have  furniture 
which  they  already  possess  and  which  they  must 
use.  This  will  limit  to  some  extent  the  selection 
of  a  house  or  an  apartment  unless  one  wishes  to 
contribute  to  the  upkeep  of  a  storage  company. 
If  there  are  large  old  pieces  of  furniture,  a  tall 
secretary,  a  four-posted  bed,  then  small  rooms 
and  low  ceilings  are  impossible. 

It  is  always  difficult  to  find  an  interior  archi- 
tecture hannonious  w^ith  the  type  of  furni- 
ture one  possesses.  If  the  furniture  is  of  old 
mahogany,  one  will  be  surprised  at  the  number 
of  apartments  and  houses  finished  with  so-called 
Craftsman  woodwork.  This  is  usually  of  soft, 
dark-stained  wood  in  imitation  ceiling-beams  and 
wall  paneling,  utterly  unsuitable  for  any  but  one 
type  of  furnishing.  Perhaps  the  imitation  beams 
and  panels  could  be  removed  and  the  walls  and 
dark  wood  painted  a  color  suitable  for  the  more 
delicate  Hues  of  other  types  of  furniture.  If  one 
had  only  Mission  or  Craftsman  furniture,  it  would 
be  discouraging  to  find  so  many  apartments  wdth 
light  walls  and  painted  woodwork,  and  so  impos- 
sible as  a  background  for  this  furniture. 

And  nowhere  is  it  more  important  that  there  be 
a  unity,  a  similarity  between  background  and 
furniture  than  in  the  small  house  or  apartment. 


RENTING  THE  HOUSE  OR  APARTMENT  33 

In  the  larger  spaces  of  big  rooms,  incongruities  do 
not  force  themselves  in  the  foreground.  They  are 
mercifully  lost  in  the  unifying  effect  that  large 
open  spaces  bring.  In  a  small  room  or  group  of 
rooms,  tmless  there  is  a  similarity  in  the  important 
lines  and  character  of  woodwork  and  furniture, 
there  is  a  restlessness  and  incongruity  that  pre- 
vents the  beauty  of  any  single  part  of  the 
room  or  piece  of  furniture  from  having  its  full 
value. 

It  is  usually  possible  by  changing  the  color  of 
the  woodwork  and  walls  of  the  average  house  or 
apartment  to  make  it  harmonious  with  one's  fur- 
niture. Walls  can  be  repapered  or  repainted,  and 
if  covered  with  burlap  they  can  be  painted  over 
with  ordinary  house-paint.  All  previous  paperings 
must  be  removed  from  the  walls.  This  is  done 
by  covering  them  with  a  thin  paste  for  a  few  hours 
and  afterward  scraping  off  the  dampened  layers 
of  paper.     This  should  always  be  insisted  upon. 

The  ugly  chandeliers  which  hang  down  from 
the  centers  of  the  ceilings  should  be  removed,  and 
either  inconspicuous  side-lights  installed  in  their 
place,  or  side-wall  connections  made  where  most 
useful.  In  a  living-room  or  library  alcohol  or 
kerosene  lamps  give  an  even  and  attractive  light. 
The  clumsy  mirror  and  shelves  over  the  mantels, 
the  gewgaw  fretwork  over  side-doors  or  openings 
can  be  easily  removed  without  injury  to  the  walls 
and  stored  in  the  cellar  with  the  chandeliers  and 
imitation  wall-paneling  to  await  the  next  tenant. 


34  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

We  hope  they  will  be  forgotten  or  disappeax  in  the 
mean  time. 

A  landlord  or  agent  is  more  easily  convinced 
that  these  changes  can  be  made  inexpensively  and 
without  damage  to  the  apartment  before  the  lease 
is  signed  than  afterward,  and  the  wise  tenant  is 
willing  to  pay  part  of  the  cost. 

Some  part  of  a  room,  some  corner  or  wall- 
space,  will  suggest  itself  as  suitable  for  building 
in  a  few  detachable  book-shelves — perhaps  with 
drawers  or  cupboards  underneath  for  papers, 
maps,  drawings,  etc.  In  the  bedrooms,  if  there 
is  space  for  bed  and  dressing-table,  and  if  there  is 
closet-room  and  good  ventilation,  it  is  easy  enough 
to  make  adjustments  for  books  and  boots,  for 
chair  and  sewing-table. 

It  is  rather  fun  doing  over  a  rented  house. 
When  one  builds  a  house  one  feels  the  responsi- 
bility of  its  being  right ;  and,  as  it  seldom  evolves 
completely  satisfactory,  there  is  always  the  feeling 
that  it  might  have  been  improved  upon.  When 
one  rents  a  house  and  has  no  responsibility  for 
what  is  essentially  wrong  in  arrangement  or  con- 
struction, one  only  reaps  satisfaction  and  praise 
for  what  has  been  improved  upon.  When  a 
flower  is  made  to  bloom  in  a  wilderness  there  can 
be  but  praise.  There  is  opportunity  in  this  coun- 
try for  much  of  this  gardening.  And  every  one 
who  rents  house  or  apartment  has  a  chance  to 
be  a  gardener. 


IV 

WHAT   WE    NEED   FOR   THE    HOUSE 

IF  the  standard  which  WilHam  Morris  set  when 
he  said,  "Have  nothing  in  your  house  that  you 
do  not  know  to  be  useful  or  beHeve  to  be  beauti- 
ful,"  were  heeded,  there  would  be  a  universal 
riunmage  sale.  And  what  restful  places  our  houses 
would  become,  cleared  of  the  useless  and  the  ugly ! 

Every  house  which  attempts  to  be  a  home, 
something  more  than  a  place  in  which  to  sleep 
and  eat,  provides  comfort  for  those  who  live  in  it. 
But  how  little  thought  is  given  to  another  and  a 
very  precious  quality,  the  beauty  of  the  furnish- 
ing of  the  house. 

The  first  impression  a  house  gives  is  a  fair  indi- 
cation of  the  success  of  its  furnishing.  If  it  seems 
cheerful  and  well  ordered,  we  may  know  that 
whoever  had  the  furnishing  in  hand  planned  it 
weU  and  took  pleasure  in  carrying  out  the  plan. 
If  it  suggests  comfort  as  well  as  beauty,  we  may 
know  that  practical  interests  were  considered  and 
that  the  importance  of  plamiing  a  house  to  be 
lived  in  was  not  overlooked.  Is  it  restful?  Is 
the  color  harmonious  and  pleasing?  If  so  there 
4 


36  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

was  thought  of  beauty  of  open  spaces,  and  simple 
Hnes,  and  discrimination  in  the  selection  of  color 
scheme. 

And  does  the  whole  house  seem  a  suitable  back- 
ground for  those  who  live  in  it?  Frequently  we 
hear  that  a  house  should  have  individuality ;  but 
what  house  has  not  some  individuality,  however 
reluctantly  it  may  be  admitted? 

It  is  impossible  to  evade  showing  taste  or  the 
lack  of  it.  Every  house  that  has  been  thought- 
fully planned  and  furnished  from  the  point  of 
view  of  suitability  and  beauty  has  in  it  some- 
thing of  fine  individuality,  and  is  necessarily  a 
reflection  of  the  taste  of  whoever  directed  the 
furnishing.  And  a  house  which  has  been  care- 
fully planned  by  those  who  live  in  it  has  char- 
acter, too,  and  is  more  interesting  than  one  which 
has  been  done  throughout,  a  la  carte,  by  the  aver- 
age professional  interior  decorator  or  the  furnish- 
ing-shop. 

Almost  every  one  will  agree  in  words  on  what 
makes  a  beautiful  house.  It  is  agreed  that  there 
must  be  color  harmony,  careful  selection  of  furni- 
ture, and  beauty  in  arrangement.  But  how  to 
accomplish  this?  For  in  reality  the  furnishing  of 
a  house  suitably  and  with  beauty  requires  plan- 
ning and  discrimination,  and,  however  delightful 
the  problem  may  be,  it  is  one  that  is  not  without 
difficulties. 

It  is  necessary  to  use  art  as  a  working-tool. 
This  mav  sound  difficult,  but  artistic  appreciation 


WHAT  WE  NEED  FOR  THE  HOUSE  37 

is  not  confined  to  those  who  have  studied  in  art- 
schools.  A  miUiner's  apprentice  may  have  better 
taste  than  a  portrait-painter.  Beauty  makes  a 
universal  appeal,  and  taste  is  a  matter  of  culti- 
vation. If  artistic  appreciation  is  to  mean  more 
than  the  passing  pleasure  of  the  moment,  if  one 
is  to  know  what  is  good,  and  why  it  is  good,  one 
must  have  some  knowledge  of  fundamental  artistic 
principles. 

These  are  not  difficult  to  understand.  The 
principle  of  harmony  or  unity  is  an  important  one, 
yet  its  essentials  are  simple.  Any  one  can  appre- 
ciate it.  Simply  stated,  harmony  or  unity  is  a 
measure  of  similarity.  It  requires  that  things 
which  are  to  be  used  together  be  similar.  As  a 
working-tool  in  house-furnishing  it  will  eliminate 
what  is  incongruous,  too  varied,  or  contrasting. 
Unity  decrees  that  a  room  is  inharmonious  if  there 
are  too  many  colors  used  in  it,  or  if  it  contains  too 
many  different  types  of  furniture.  Things  which 
are  to  be  combined  harmoniously  must  be  in  large 
measure  similar  whether  they  be  ideas,  people,  or 
colors. 

The  principle  of  balance  is  perhaps  instinctively 
appreciated.  Simply  stated,  balance  is  an  arrange- 
ment which  gives  equivalence.  It  may  be  an 
equivalence  of  color,  of  spacing,  of  foim,  of  light 
and  dark.  All  about  us  nature  has  evolved  count- 
less illustrations  of  balance  of  form  and  aiTange- 
ment  in  plant  and  animal  life.  We  have  two  eyes, 
two  arms,  two  legs,  and  symmetrical,  balanced 


38  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

figures.  As  a  working-tool  in  furnishing  a  house, 
balance  brings  to  it  an  order  and  a  simplicity  and 
prevents  chaotic  arrangement. 

We  must  take  into  account  the  balance  of  wall- 
spaces  when  hanging  pictures,  and  balances  of 
size  and  form,  in  arrangement  of  furniture.  A 
long  drawing-room  of  light  walls  and  woodwork 
which  has  a  grand  piano  and  high  book-shelves  in 
one  end  and  only  a  small  table  and  light  chairs 
in  the  other  end,  seemed  to  slope  down  toward  the 
piano.  There  was  no  equivalence  in  the  placing 
of  the  furniture,  and  the  room  was  disturbingly 
end-heavy. 

A  third  principle  is  more  difficult  to  define.  In 
savage  and  civilized  man  alike  there  is  a  spon- 
taneous response  to  rhythm,  and  whether  this 
I^rinciple  is  expressed  in  the  rhythm  of  a  dance 
or  of  running  water,  of  the  lines  of  chair  or  table, 
or  of  a  glint  of  color  iimning  from  rug  to  chair, 
and  chair  to  window — wherever  there  is  this  charm 
of  movement  there  is  a  touch  of  beauty.  Artistic 
appreciation  and  the  development  of  good  taste 
in  house-funiishing  resolves  itself  into  a  matter 
of  analyzing  and  putting  all  the  details  to  the  test 
of  these  artistic  principles. 

Artistic  expression  and  discrimination  has  a 
twofold  value.  The  fine  pleasure  it  brings  to  the 
individual  is  a  reward  in  itself,  but  the  beauty  it 
creates  in  the  home  is  an  invaluable  contribution 
to  the  happiness  and  joy  of  the  family.  Good 
taste  has  also  an  economic  value.    It  means  free- 


WHAT  WE  NEED  FOR  THE  HOUSE     39 

dom  from  the  slavery  of  fashion  and  cheap  imita- 
tions. There  are  styles  in  furnishing  just  as  there 
are  styles  in  hats,  but  the  discriminating  buyer 
who  knows  what  is  good  and  why  it  is  good  is 
able  to  select  what  is  in  itself  beautiful  enough  to 
survive  the  change  of  fashion.  A  good  chair  does 
not  become  less  desirable  by  change  of  fashion  any 
more  than  a  fine  piece  of  old  needlework  point- 
lace  loses  its  value  when  a  different  pattern  of 
machine-made  lace  becomes  fashionable. 

A  good  general  plan  of  furnishing  will  evolve 
out  of  a  careful  consideration  of  the  limitations 
and  the  possibiUties  that  the  house  or  apartment 
offers.  But  even  with  a  well-defined  plan  it  is 
frequently  difficult  to  conform  to  it.  The  shops 
have  so  much  that  is  attractive  and  interesting 
that  unless  a  fairly  definite  plan  and  color  scheme 
has  been  decided  upon  it  is  hard  to  hold  one's 
fancy  well  in  hand.  There  is  the  danger  of  buying 
all  sorts  of  things  which  are  individually  interest- 
ing or  beautiful,  but  incongruous  together  and 
unsuitable  for  the  special  needs  of  the  room  for 
which  they  were  purchased. 

So  often  the  mistake  is  made  of  planning  one 
room  at  a  time  or  buying  one  piece  of  furniture 
at  a  time  without  regard  to  a  general  scheme. 
The  result  is  usually  a  hodge-podge  of  different 
types  of  furniture  and  a  restless  impossible  com- 
bination of  color.  A  room  with  rich  paper  and 
velvet  hangings  will  lose  all  its  dignity  if  an 
adjoining  room  is  furnished  in  Mission  furniture. 


40  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

A  li\nng-room  udth  light  wood  and  painted  furni- 
ture becomes  absurdly  trivial  if  it  opens  to  a 
dining-room  of  dark  paneling  and  Elizabethan 
furniture.  A  discriminating  visitor  remarked  of 
one  very  costly  New  York  house  that  she  would 
have  to  change  her  costume  with  every  room  if 
she  were  to  feel  at  home  there. 

Defining  a  general  plan  and  conforming  to  it 
makes  for  unity  in  the  furnishing.  It  is  important 
that  there  be  fundamental  similarity  throughout 
the  whole  house,  a  likeness  between  each  part  and 
the  whole.  If  the  house  is  to  be  restful  and  digni- 
fied it  is  very  necessary  that  the  general  plan  be 
harmonious,  and  harmony  is  dependent  on  sim- 
ilarity. Not  that  it  is  necessary  that  there  be 
likeness  to  a  degree  of  monotony.  Variations  of 
color  and  contrast  add  a  zest  and  interest  when 
introduced  in  the  details  and  subordinate  furnish- 
ings of  a  room,  but  too  much  variety  in  form  and 
too  many  variations  in  color  are  always  disturbing, 
and  it  is  impossible  to  have  restfulness  with  much 
variety. 

In  making  a  general  plan  the  sum  of  money  one 
has  to  spend  usually  brings  its  own  very  definite 
limitations,  although  it  is  cheerful  to  know  that 
an  expensively  fiirnished  house  is  necessarily  no 
more  beautiful  than  an  inexpensively  and  simply 
furnished  one.  The  size  of  the  house  and  the 
size  and  uses  of  rooms  determine  what  furniture  is 
necessary  and  suitable.  One  does  not  buy  large 
elaborate  pieces  for  the  rooms  of  a  .small  house  or 


WHAT  WE  NEED  .FOR  THE  HOUSE     41 

apartment.  The  number  of  windows,  the  amount 
of  Hght — particularly  in  a  city  house — decide  what 
the  color  scheme  should  be. 

In  planning  the  general  scheme  of  furnishings 
there  are  some  aspects  more  fundamental  than 
others,  and  certain  considerations  which  should 
take  precedence  of  others.  It  is  well  first  to  plan 
the  general  character  and  decide  on  the  color 
scheme,  then  afterward  fit  in  the  details.  To  do 
this  look  at  each  room ;  look  at  vistas  from  room 
to  room,  first,  from  the  point  of  view  of  an  archi- 
tect; second,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  color- 
ist ;  third,  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  craftsman 
and  decorator. 

The  point  of  view  of  the  architect  will  consider 
first  the  skeleton  of  the  room,  the  large  proportions, 
the  vistas  through  rooms.  It  is  the  architect's 
point  of  view  which  asks:  Are  the  wall-spaces 
of  good  proportion,  the  woodwork  beautiful? 
Shall  they  be  emphasized?  Or  are  they  to  be 
changed  by  curtains  and  placing  of  pictures  and 
furniture?  Are  the  doors  and  windows  iSnely 
spaced  ?  Is  the  detail  of  woodwork  good  ?  Are  the 
rooms  light,  or  shall  the  effect  of  light  be  height- 
ened? 

The  wall-spaces,  the  woodwork,  windows  and 
doors  make  up  the  skeleton  of  the  room,  and  their 
treatment  is  the  most  important  part  of  furnish- 
ing. Most  women  have  long  since  realized  that 
elaborate  trimming  does  not  make  a  gown  beauti- 
ful, and  the  well-dressed  woman  knows  that  the 


42  PLANNING  THE   HOME 

distinction  of  a  gown  depends  almost  entirely  on 
the  lines  and  proportions.  The  same  principles 
which  underlie  the  beauty  of  a  gown  are  funda- 
mental in  the  spacing  and  arrangement  of  a  room. 

If  a  room  has  good  woodwork,  fine  windows  and 
door-spaces  it  is  well  to  keep  the  walls  and  win- 
dow-spacings  definite  and  clear.  A  slight  contrast 
in  color  between  walls  and  woodwork  will  empha- 
size the  spacing.  For  instance,  the  woodwork  may 
be  of  ivory  or  dull  gray,  in  contrast  to  a  medium 
dark  neutral  color  of  walls,  or  the  woodwork  dark 
in  contrast  to  light-colored  walls.  The  windows 
should  be  curtained  to  cover  as  little  as  possible 
of  the  woodwork. 

The  emphasis  on  structural  lines  presupposes 
good  proportions  and  beautiful  woodwork,  and 
also  requires  a  very  discriminating  selection  and 
aiTangement  of  furniture.  This  restraint  to  fine 
structural  lines  will  always  produce  an  impression 
of  distinction.  One  may  sometimes  feel  that  such 
a  room  lacks  warmth  and  glow,  but  one  never  feels 
that  the  room  becomes  monotonous  as  a  more 
colorful  one  so  often  does,  nor  proves  common- 
place as  a  less  simple  one  does. 

Unfortunately,  the  increased  cost  of  lumber  and 
labor  has  resulted  in  many  houses  and  apart- 
ments having  woodwork  which  invites  obHvion. 
Badly  put  together  and  ugly  in  proportions  and 
detail,  it  must  be  made  unobtrusive.  Then  it  is 
well  to  have  woodwork  and  walls  almost  similar 
in  color  and  to  subordinate  the  woodwork  of 


WHAT  WE  NEED  FOR   THE   HOUSE     43 

windows  and  doors  as  far  as  possible  to  the  main 
proportions  of  the  room.  Walls  and  woodwork 
which  are  similar  and  light  in  color  will  make  any 
room  seem  larger  and  will  also  make  furnishing  a 
less  difficult  problem. 

Then  the  architect's  point  of  view  will  also  con- 
sider the  proportions  of  the  room.  Are  they  to  be 
kept  as  they  are  or  to  be  changed  ?  Does  the  room 
seem  too  low-ceilinged?  If  so,  all  vertical  lines 
must  be  emphasized.  The  walls  may  be  papered 
with  unobtrusive  striped  wall-paper.  The  picture- 
rail  should  be  high,  adjoining  the  ceiling.  Tall 
pieces  of  furniture  may  be  placed  to  carry  up  the 
vertical  lines.  Tall,  narrow  built-in  book-shelves 
will  add  to  the  impression  of  height.  Long,  straight 
curtains  may  be  hung,  and  everything  possible 
should  be  done  to  keep  the  vertical  lines  of  curtains 
and  furniture  clear  and  dominant. 

But  if  the  ceilings  are  too  high  ?  Then  the  pic- 
ture-rail can  be  dropped  to  coincide  with  some 
architectural  line  of  door  or  window ;  broad,  medi- 
umly  low  book-shelves  built  in,  and  the  center  of 
interest  in  the  room  placed  at  about  the  average 
eye-level.  Short  curtains  may  be  hung,  drawn 
back  at  each  side,  to  emphasize  the  width  of  the 
window.  Everything  possible  should  be  done  to 
keep  the  horizontal  and  low  levels  dominant. 

The  architect's  point  of  view  in  furnishing  con- 
siders the  structural  lines  of  the  skeleton,  and  the 
large  proportions.  It  gives  the  room  its  funda- 
mental and  most  important  furnishing.    The  ar- 


44  PLANNING   THE   HOME 

chitect's  furnishing  should  pass  on  a  beautifully- 
spaced  and  arranged  shell  of  walls,  windows,  doors, 
and  floor-spaces,  to  the  colorist  next,  and  after- 
ward to  the  decorator  and  the  housekeeper  for 
their  additional  point  of  view. 

So  much  of  the  charm  and  pleasure  of  a  room 
depends  on  the  color  impression !  No  part  of  the 
furnishing  is  more  expressive  of  individuality  than 
the  color  scheme.  The  problem  of  selecting  colors 
for  a  room  is  one  that  requires  very  careful  atten- 
tion. No  woman  would  attempt  to  buy  colored 
sewing-silk  without  having  a  sample  for  matching, 
or  buy  trimming  for  a  dress  without  a  sample  of 
the  dress  material.  Yet  when  it  is  a  matter  of 
selecting  color  in  curtains,  or  rugs,  or  upholstery 
materials,  the  same  woman  will  rely  on  red  being 
red,  blue  being  blue,  or  green  being  green,  and 
accept  dozens  of  shades  of  difference  between  the 
same  colors  in  one  room. 

There  are  innumerable  shades  of  reds  and  blues 
and  greens.  It  is  possible  to  dye  with  modern 
coal-tar  dyes  nearly  eight  hundred  shades  of  blue ! 
Even  neutral  tans  will  run  from  many  shades  of 
pink  tans  to  tans  of  warm  yellow  and  green  tones. 

Then,  too,  in  deciding  on  a  color  scheme  it  must 
be  kept  in  mind  that  different  colors  have  different 
quahties.  Red  is  always  a  penetrating  color.  Why 
else  are  danger-signals  always  red?  Yellow  is  a 
luminous  color,  and  gives  the  impression  of  Hght. 
Blue  is  a  retreating  color. 

Curtain  materials  should  not  be  selected  with- 


WHAT  WE  NEED  FOR  THE  HOUSE   45 

out  matching  or  comparing  them  to  the  wall- 
paper. Upholstery  materials  should  not  be  chosen 
without  comparison  to  the  wall-paper  and  cur- 
tains. Walls,  curtains,  upholstery  material,  and 
rugs  are  the  four  most  important  color  spaces  in 
a  room,  and  if  a  similarity  of  color  runs  throughout 
all  four,  the  smaller  details  of  varying  color  will 
take  proper  subordinate  places. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  dye  materials  to  match  any 
color,  and  full  directions  for  dyeing  are  given  in 
Handy  Man's  Chapter.  For  those  who  have  not 
had  training  in  color  harmony,  and  who  have  not 
cultivated  color  discrimination,  this  simple  little 
problem  will  be  very  illuminating.  Collect  many 
samples  of  one  color  or  two  colors.  Say  a  living- 
room  is  to  be  done  in  blue-and-gold.  Collect  sam- 
ples of  innumerable  shades  of  blue  and  of  gold  in 
different  materials — silks,  cottons,  wools,  and  pa- 
per. Try  to  arrange  them  in  gradation,  shading 
from  light  to  dark.  Place  in  the  center  what 
seems  to  be  a  middle  shade  of  pure  blue;  on  one 
side  arrange  gradations  toward  violet-blue,  on  the 
other  side  toward  green-blue.  Do  the  same  with 
the  gold,  running  the  gradations  on  one  side  to 
a  greenish-tan,  on  the  other  side  toward  orange. 
This  will  help  one  to  appreciate  the  subtleties  of 
color,  and  to  realize  that  a  whole  color  scheme 
may  be  spoiled  by  a  sHght  variation  in  color. 

A  room  should  have  a  predominating  color,  and 
adjoining  rooms  should  be  of  the  same  or  of  similar 
color.    For  instance,  tan  and  green  stripe  may  be 


46  PLANNING  THE   HOME 

used  in  a  hall  which  adjoins  a  room  of  plain  tan 
paper.  It  is  wise  to  keep  walls  of  neutral  and 
unobtrusive  color.  The  more  neutral  the  large 
masses  of  color  are  in  a  room,  the  more  varied  and 
brilliant  the  details  of  decoration  may  be.  The 
brighter  the  color  of  the  large  masses,  the  less 
variety  of  color  may  be  used  in  the  room.  A  little 
bright  color  goes  a  long  way. 

If  a  room  has  gray  walls,  woodwork,  and  furni- 
ture, the  upholstery,  curtains,  and  rugs  may  intro- 
duce various  other  colors.  If  the  room  has  blue 
walls,  and  mahogany  furniture,  only  one  other 
color  can  be  used  to  any  extent  in  curtains  and 
upholstery  materials.  It  is  always  safe  to  use 
soft,  dull  colors.  It  is  much  more  difficult  to  suc- 
cessfully combine  bright  colors. 

It  is  also  true  that  walls  of  neutral  color  are 
more  restful  and  permanently  satisfying  than 
walls  with  strong  color.  One  grows  as  tired  of 
an  aggressive  wall-paper  as  of  a  bright-colored 
suit  which  has  been  worn  through  a  whole  season ! 
And  rooms  with  the  large  masses  of  dull  color 
have  the  advantage  of  lending  themselves  easily 
to  changes  in  color  and  arrangement.  The  blue 
vase  may  be  replaced  by  a  green  one,  the  bright 
orange  cushions  covered  in  other  colors,  the  lamp- 
shade changed,  and  the  whole  room  assume  a 
different  appearance  at  a  minimum  cost  of  time 
and  expense.  It  takes  knowledge  and  imagination 
to  use  strong  color  and  striking  patterns  success- 
fully. 


WHAT  WE  NEED  FOR  THE  HOUSE  47 

Rooms  which  have  Httle  or  no  sunHght  should 
have  yellow  the  predominating  color.  Tan,  old 
gold,  dull  orange,  or  soft  yellow-green  should  be 
predominant  in  the  larger  masses  of  color.  The 
details  of  pattern  and  accessories  of  furnishing 
may  introduce  other  colors  in  small  quantities. 
In  rooms  which  have  plenty  of  sunlight,  almost 
any  color  scheme  may  be  used.  Only  where  there 
is  plenty  of  sunlight  throughout  the  day  should 
blue,  gray,  violet,  or  green  be  used  as  the  pre- 
dominant color. 

Light  colors  make  the  room  seem  brighter  and 
larger.  Aside  from  marking  a  rooin  seem  smaller, 
dark  colors  have  a  serious  disadvantage.  Dark 
green,  blue,  brown,  or  red  walls  absorb  so  much 
light  that  twice  as  much  gas  or  elcctricitj^  is 
necessary  for  illumination  as  if  light  walls  were 
used.  Dark  walls  materially  increase  the  gas  and 
electric-light  bills. 

The  finish  given  to  walls  in  modern  houses  is 
either  a  rough  plaster,  which  may  be  painted,  or 
a  smooth  plaster  finish  which  may  be  painted  or 
papered.  Rough  plaster  walls  are  an  effective 
background.  Frequently  the  color  is  mixed  with 
the  wet  plaster.  The  walls  may  also  be  painted 
in  water  or  oil  colors.  Painted  walls  have  some 
advantage  over  papered  ones.  If  painted  with 
oil  the  color  will  last  for  years,  and  may  be  easily 
cleaned  by  careful  washing  with  warai  water  and 
soap.  If  too  much  oil  has  been  used  in  mixing 
the  paints,  there  will  be  an  unpleasant  surface 


48  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

gloss  on  the  walls.  There  are  many  varieties  of 
water-color  paints  on  the  market.  Some  are  quite 
inexpensive  and  can  be  directly  appHed  over  wall- 
paper or  oil-painted  walls  by  the  average  un- 
trained, inexperienced  person  without  difficulty. 

It  is  usually  difficult  to  have  the  average  painter 
get  the  right  color,  unless  accurate  directions  are 
given  for  the  mixing  of  colors.  Yellow  ocher  added 
to  white  paint  or  enamel  will  give  a  satisfactory 
ivory  color  for  woodwork.  Black  will  usually 
neutrahzc  a  color  which  is  too  bright.  Yellow  will 
always  add  warmth  to  a  cold  gray  or  green. 

The  growing  interest  in  house  decoration  has 
created  a  demand  for  wall-papers  of  good  quahty, 
design,  and  color.  Tans  and  grays  are  good  colors 
for  backgrounds,  and  a  simple  pattern,  or  a  stripe 
in  the  same  or  similar  color,  is  more  interesting 
than  the  plain  color.  Patterns  should  be  unobtru- 
sive. Large  color  patterns  are  seldom  suitable 
for  any  room,  and,  although  it  is  possible  to  use  a 
pattern  or  striped  paper  in  a  hall,  it  must  be  similar 
in  color  to  the  paper  used  in  adjoining  rooms. 
Flower  patterns  are  effective  in  very  simple  bed- 
rooms, especially  in  country  houses.  Pictures 
should  not  be  hung  on  patterned  wall-papers,  for 
the  effect  of  pictures  and  wall  design  is  at  cross- 
purposes,  and  results  in  restless  confusion. 

The  Hghting  of  a  room  plays  an  important  part 
in  the  color  impression,  and  the  effect  of  both  day- 
light and  artificial  light  must  be  considered  in 
furnishing  a  house.     Daylight  should  be  softened 


WHAT  WE   NEED   FOR   THE   HOUSE      49 

by  the  curtains,  and  neither  at  day  nor  night 
should  the  Hght  be  too  glaring. 

Many  colors  lose  their  intensity  at  night. 
There  are  very  few  blues,  for  instance,  which 
hold  their  color  under  artificial  light,  and  mauve 
and  violet  become  quite  gray  under  gas-Hght.  A 
room  at  night  may  seem  to  be  in  dull,  soft  colors, 
while  the  bright  daylight  may  reveal  the  same 
room  in  a  garish  color  scheme. 

When  gas  and  electricity  supplanted  the  meager 
candle  and  kerosene  lights  there  was  a  natural 
desire  to  burst  forth  in  efTulgence,  and  in  conse- 
quence much  more  light  than  is  necessary  is  used 
in  the  average  house,  and  much  is  wasted,  by 
lack  of  concentration  at  necessary  points.  To-day 
attention  is  being  paid  both  to  the  scientific  and 
artistic  aspects  of  lighting. 

As  has  been  said,  dark  rooms  absorb  light,  and 
deep  shadows  are  cast  by  the  furniture,  which 
involves  a  large  waste  of  electricity  or  gas.  Light 
rooms,  unless  there  are  proper  shades  on  the 
lights,  may  have  a  glare  which  is  injurious  to  the 
eyes,  and  very  tiresome. 

There  are  two  methods  of  artificial  lighting — 
the  indirect  and  the  direct.  In  indirect  lighting 
the  source  of  hght  is  concealed.  Lights  are  placed 
behind  a  cornice  molding  and  their  light  is  re- 
flected from  the  ceiling  in  a  diffused  light  through- 
out the  room.  Or  the  lights  may  be  concealed  in 
inverted  holders  suspended  from  the  ceiling.  This 
light  is  very  even  and  is  suitable  for  large  halls  or 


so  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

for  public  buildings.  It  is  at  least  a  third  more 
expensive 'than  direct  lighting. 

Direct  lighting,  with  sources  of  light  obvious,  is 
much  more  suitable  for  lighting  the  average  house. 
A  hall  or  kitchen  may  be  successfully  lighted  by 
indirect  method,  but  in  a  living-room  or  bedroom 
a  completely  and  evenly  lighted  room  is  as  tire- 
some to  the  eyes  as  it  is  unattractive.  The  chan- 
delier that  hangs  down  from  the  center  of  the 
ceiling  into  the  room  is  always  ugly  and  reduces 
the  apparent  size  of  the  room. 

vSide-lights  are  generally  more  useful  and  at- 
tractive than  ceiling  lights.  If  a  room  is  low, 
ceiling  lights  close  to  the  ceiling  will  add  an  im- 
pression of  height;  if  the  ceiHng  is  high,  side- 
lights placed  just  above  the  eye-level  will  make 
the  room  seem  less  high. 

There  are  always  some  parts  of  a  room  more  in 
use  than  others.  There  are  always  some  parts 
of  a  room  more  attractive  than  others.  An  open 
fire,  the  soft  light  from  a  reading-lamp  with  a  side- 
light near  the  desk  when  necessary,  gives  all  the 
light  that  is  needed  and  makes  a  room  much 
more  interesting  and  restful,  with  its  concentration 
of  light  and  its  half-lights  and  shadows,  than  a 
room  which  is  garishly  lighted  throughout.  There 
is  something  aggressively  bare  about  an  unshaded 
light,  and  a  visit  to  the  shops  for  lamp-shades  and 
shades  for  side-lights  will  disclose  so  many  mon- 
strosities of  glass-bead  fringe  and  passementerie 
and  artificial-flower  trimmings  at  large  prices  that 


WHAT  WE  NEED  FOR  THE  HOUSE     51 

it  is  well  to  know  that  any  one  can  with  patience 
make  a  good  lamp,  candle,  or  side-light  shade 
and  that  the  simiale  ones  are  the  best. 

A  wire  frame  may  be  ordered  in  any  size  to  fit 
any  lamp,  or  to  be  attached  to  any  side-wall  fix- 
ture. This  frame  should  be  covered  by  winding  it 
with  tape  or  ribbon.  The  outside  of  the  shade 
should  then  be  sewn  to  this  tape  first  at  top,  then 
the  bottom,  and  perhaps  at  the  sides,-  according 
to  the  design.  Plain  silk  may  be  used  for  the 
outside,  stretched  tight  across  and  sewn  to  the 
frame,  or  the  silk  may  be  plaited,  sticking  pins  into 
the  plaits  all  around  the  top,  and  afterward 
stretching  and  running  it  in  similar  plaits  at  the 
bottom.  Pinning  it  at  both  top  and  bottom  be- 
fore sewing  allows  for  corrections  being  easily 
made. 

Stencil  designs  in  heavy  paper,  pasted  over  silk 
or  paj)er,  make  very  attractive  shades.  All  shades 
should  be  lined  with  plain  silk  in  color.  The  lining 
should  cover  the  turned-in  raw  edges  of  silk  which 
has  been  used  for  the  outside  of  the  shade. 

For  finishing  the  top  and  bottom  edges,  a  fine 
guimpe  braid,  lace  edge,  or  silk  fringe  may  be 
effectively  used.  Shades  for  lamps  may  be  circu- 
lar, hexagonal,  or  octagonal.  Shades  for  side- 
lights are  usually  semicircular. 

No  one  feature  of  furnishing  can  more  easily 

mar    or    improve    the    appearance    of    a    house 

than  the  arrangement  of  artificial  lighting,  and  a 

carefully  lighted  room  adds  considerably  to  the 

5 


52  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

attractive  appearance  of  the  room  and  to  those 
who  live  in  it. 

It  seems  more  than  bad  taste  to  live  in  a  house 
with  ugly,  crude  colors  and  garish  lighting.  How 
many  cases  of  nerves  and  headaches  have  been 
given  by  the  red-patterned  wall-papers?  Nerve 
speciahsts  have  long  since  realized  the  value  of 
restful  colors  in  the  furnishing  of  sanatoriums,  but 
the  nervously  ill  person  and  the  nonnally  healthy 
person  are  alike  responsive  to  the  effect  of  color 
and  hght  on  the  nervous  organization.  So  much 
joy  and  pleasure  may  be  had  from  beautiful  color 
that  too  much  consideration  cannot  be  given  to 
this  phase  of  the  furnishing. 

The  framing  and  hanging  of  pictures  is  an  im- 
portant detail  of  the  general  furnishing.  A  large 
dark  picture,  heavily  framed,  and  hung  in  the  cen- 
ter of  a  light  wall  will  have  an  emphasis  quite 
beyond  its  proper  significance.  By  reason  of  the 
same  objectionable  contrast  and  emphasis,  a  pic- 
ture with  a  very  light  or  a  white  mat  should  not 
be  hung  on  a  very  dark  wall. 

Pictures  should  take  their  places  as  part  of  the 
background  of  the  room.  They  should  be  con- 
sidered and  placed  as  so  many  spots  or  patterns 
on  the  wall.  It  is  assumed  that  the  pictures  in 
themselves  are  interesting,  so  they  should  be  hung 
low  enough  to  be  examined  at  close  range. 

They  should  be  placed  in  a  balanced  arrange- 
ment either  irregularly  or  sjmimetrically  spaced,  so 
that  a  simple  pattern  is  made  by  their  rectangular 


WHAT  WE   NEED   FOR   THE   HOUSE      53 

shapes  on  the  walls.  It  is  more  interesting  to 
group  small  pictures  together  than  to  scatter  them. 

A  narrow  gold  or  colored  wood  frame  close  to 
the  picture  or  with  a  mat  is  generally  an  accept- 
able and  unobtrusive  way  of  framing  a  picture. 
But  to  be  framed  correctly  each  picture  must  be 
considered  as  an  individual  problem.  The  mat  or 
the  frame,  and  even  the  frame  itself,  may  echo  the 
color  of  the  picture. 

Etchings  and  engravings  should  be  framed  with 
a  light  mat  and  a  plain,  narrow  black  or  gold 
frame.  Mezzotints  and  all  color-prints  may  have 
gold  frames,  with  the  predoininant  color  of  the 
print  repeated  in  the  color  of  the  gold. 

A  gold  frame  which  is  too  bright  may  be  brought 
to  a  dull  tone  of  gold,  harmonious  to  the  color 
scheme,  by  giving  it  a  transparent  coat  of  paint 
and  turpentine.  For  instance,  a  gold  frame  given 
a  transparent  coat  of  either  green  or  brown  paint 
diluted  with  turpentine,  becomes  a  harmonious 
setting  for  a  Rembrandt  color-print  of  rich  reds 
and  browns. 

The  Persian  manner  of  inclosing  a  picture 
within  a  band  or  bands  of  bright  color  may  be 
successfully  followed  in  framing  prints  or  pictures 
which  are  full  of  color  and  fine  in  detail. 

Japanese  prints  are  attractively  framed  with 
mat  of  Chinese  or  Japanese  paper.  A  narrow 
black  frame  will  bring  out  the  clear  black  lines  of 
the  print. 

The  framing  of  pictures  should  not  be  intrusted 


54  PLANNING  THE  HOME 

to  the  ordinary  picture-dealers.  The  size,  color, 
and  pattern  of  a  picture  may  mar  or  make  beau- 
tiful the  wall  on  which  it  hangs — and  it  is  much  too 
important  a  detail  of  furnishing  to  be  haphazardly 
treated. 

After  the  architect's  and  the  colorist's  points  of 
view  have  decided  the  main  arrangements  and 
colors  of  the  room,  the  work  of  furnishing  is  but 
begun.  Each  detail  of  furniture,  upholstery,  rugs, 
and  bric-a-brac  should  be  considered  carefully  in 
relation  of  one  to  the  other  and  to  the  whole 
room. 

There  is  satisfaction  in  doing  a  room  well,  and 
there  is  satisfaction  in  producing  a  beautiful  room 
or  house,  but  what  is  more  important,  is  the  pleas- 
ure and  joy  it  gives  others ! 

Bric-a-brac!  What  sins  are  committed  in  your 
name !  The  housekeeper  must  not  allow  her  senti- 
ment or  her  friends'  generosity  to  clutter  up  man- 
tels, tables,  and  shelves  with  useless  articles. 
Vases,  ash-trays,  cups  and  saucers,  and  innumer- 
able inappropriate  grotesqucries,  decoratively  in- 
tended, must  be  severely  dealt  with  and  banished 
either  to  the  ash-barrel,  the  store-room,  or  the 
gift-box.  A  few  vases  for  flowers,  a  tray  perhaps, 
a  pair  of  beautiful  candlesticks  may  add  touches 
of  color  and  design  and  add  to  the  decorative 
effect  of  the  room.  But  too  little  bric-^-brac  is 
better  than  enough ! 


V 

RUGS   AND   CURTAINS 

EARTH  dark,  trees  lighter,  sky  lightest,"  says 
the  landscape-painter.  The  interior  deco- 
rator translates  that  to  "Floor  darkest,  walls 
lighter,  ceiling  lightest."  This  gradation  should 
be  included  in  the  first  planning  of  the  furnishing. 
A  dark  oak  floor,  neutral  gray  walls  and  wood- 
work, and  light  ceiling  offer  an  example  of  grada- 
tion, from  dark  through  medium  to  Hght  color 
values. 

A  light  maple  floor  in  a  room  with  dark  wood- 
work or  walls  is  as  strikingly  unsuitable  as  a  light 
ruffle  would  be  on  a  dark  skirt.  Floors  are  usually 
of  oak  or  maple,  both  of  which  darken  with  age 
and  constant  oiling  and  waxing.  Often  it  is  ad- 
\asable  to  use  a  wood-stain  to  darken  a  new 
floor.  Frequent  waxing  and  rubbing  will  soon 
produce  a  beautiful  surface  quality  on  the  wood. 

It  is  always  economical  in  the  long  run  to  put 
in  a  good  hard-wood  or  a  parquet  floor,  for  a  poor 
floor  demands  a  discouraging  waste  of  time  and 
labor. 

In  European  countries  where  wood  has  become 


56  FURNISHING  THE   HO^IE 

very  scarce,  linoleums  in  beautiful  dull  colors  and 
small  patterns  are  used  very  effectively.  In  Hol- 
land, where  hard- wood  floors  would  be  an  absurdh'' 
expensive  luxury,  clean  dark  linoleimi  is  the  usual 
background  for  the  rugs.  One  firm  in  this  coun- 
try has  recently  put  on  the  market  linoleums  of 
good  quality,  which  are  beautiful  both  in  color 
and  design,  and  have  guarantee  of  long  wear. 

Carpets  which  cover  the  entire  floor  harbor  dust, 
and  are  difficult  to  clean.  Our  hard-wood  floors 
with  rugs  that  can  be  easily  cleaned  are  more 
sanitary  as  well  as  more  beautiful. 

There  is  a  wide  variety  of  rugs  on  the  market, 
and  with  some  searching,  rugs  may  be  found  that 
are  suitable  for  any  color  scheme  and  possible  for 
the  most  limited  income.  They  range  from  the 
beautiful  Oriental  to  the  modern  rag  rug.  Of 
course,  every  one  longs  to  possess  beautiful  Oriental 
rugs;  and  since  their  superior  wearing  qualities 
and  beautiful  color  design  have  been  demon- 
strated and  appreciated  the  importation  has  in- 
creased enormously.  But  the  buyer  must  be  very 
careful  in  selecting  Oriental  rugs.  A  real  antique 
rug,  or  one  that  is  over  seventy-five  years  old,  is 
a  perfectly  safe  investment.  They  are  rare  and 
costly.  Among  the  thousands  of  new  antiques  it 
is  possible  now  and  then  to  find  a  really  good  old 
rug,  but  the  inexperienced  buyer  is  more  likely  to 
be  attracted  by  the  bright  colors  and  silky  sheen 
of  the  new  rugs,  which  are  being  made  by  the 
thousands  in  Oriental  factories, 


RUGS  AND  CURTALNS  57 

If  these  new  rugs  are  well  made  they  are  as 
desirable  as  the  old  ones,  but  unfortunately  the 
demand  for  antiques  has  stimulated  a  production 
of  bad  imitations  which  have  neither  the  endur- 
ance, nor  the  beauty  and  distinction  of  the  old 
rugs.  Dealers  sell,  and  even  guarantee  as  antiques, 
rugs  which  have  been  recently  woven,  bleached  to 
soft  colors,  and  rubbed  with  glycerine  or  a  chem- 
ical composition  to  give  a  silky  sheen.  If  the 
bleach  has  not  been  thoroughly  rinsed  out — and 
it  seldom  is — the  rug  will  quickly  wear  through  in 
spots.  The  gloss  will  also  disappear  after  a  few 
weeks'  wear. 

But  how  is  the  inexperienced  buyer  to  know  how 
to  tell  an  old  rug  from  a  new  one?  There  is  no 
one  sure  way.  A  careful  study  of  texture,  design, 
and  color  of  old  and  priceless  rugs  which  are  in 
museums  or  expensive  shops  will  do  much  to 
teach  an  o]:)servant  person  and  will  show  the  in- 
feriority of  modern  imitations.  How  does  one 
know  the  difference  between  a  piece  of  old  hand- 
made lace  and  a  machine-made  imitation?  How 
would  you  teach  a  person  to  distinguish  between 
a  piece  of  hand-made  embroidery  and  a  machine- 
made  copy  of  similar  color  and  design?  Perhaps 
some  one  answers,  "But  you  can  vSee  that,  and  feel 
it."  So  with  a  rug.  Any  one  who  has  seen  and 
examined  really  fine  rugs  will  be  a  discriminating 
buyer. 

But  there  are  a  few  ear-marks  that  it  is  well 
for  the  amateur  to  bear  in  mind.    If  cheap,  crude 


58  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

dyes  have  been  used,  the  bleaching  and  washing 
process  has  caused  some  of  the  colors  to  run,  and 
there  will  be  places  where  the  colors  have  spread 
from  one  pattern  into  a  lighter  pattern  or  from 
the  pattern  into  the  background.  A  rug  which  has 
been  very  much  bleached  will  have  soft  dull 
colors  on  the  surface.  By  separating  the  threads 
and  looldng  closely  into  the  back  of  the  rug  one 
can  see  the  sharp  bright  original  colors  of  the 
yarn. 

Another  way  of  telHng  a  very  new  rug  is  to  wet 
a  piece  of  cloth  and  rub  it  quickly  on  a  spot  on 
the  rug.  When  it  becomes  warm  the  smell  of 
chloride  of  lime  which  has  been  used  in  the  bleach- 
ing will  be  quite  apparent.  Just  as  the  back  of  an 
old  wool  coat  which  has  been  rubbed  against  desk 
or  chair  becomes  shiny  and  hard  on  the  surface, 
so  with  a  rug.  The  back  of  an  old  i-ug  has  a  hard, 
not  necessarily  stiff  surface  which  has  come  from 
years  of  rubbing  on  floors.  The  old  rugs,  too,  are 
usually  more  closely  made  and  the  knots  are 
tighter  and  closer  together  than  in  the  modern 
imitations  of  the  same  rugs. 

There  are  many  well-illustrated  books  on  rugs 
which  will  vshow  designs  and  colors  and  give  in- 
formation about  the  good  antiques.  Good  Orien- 
tal rugs  may  be  purchased  from  $25  to  $25,000. 

Chinese  rugs  are  very  beautiful,  but  the  old 
ones  are  so  expensive  that  they  are  beyond  the 
possibilities  of  the  average  purse.  This  is  also 
true  of  some  of  the  beautiful  Aubussorj  carpets 


RUGS  AND  CURTAINS  59 

with  their  French  elegance  of  design.  Their 
prices,  ranging  from  $ioo  to  $250  a  square  yard, 
make  them  prohibitive  for  use  in  the  average 
house.  The  beautiful  Donegal  rugs  which  are  on 
the  markets,  of  deep  wool  pile,  in  plain  colors, 
are  made,  not  in  Donegal,  but  near  Dublin.  They 
are  very  beautiful  in  texture  and  color  and  very 
durable,  but  rather  expensive  for  the  average 
house.     A  rug  of  12  by  14  will  cost  about  $200. 

The  present  fashion  of  using  plain-color  velvet 
rugs  without  pattern  is  a  welcome  one  indeed! 
These  rugs  are  lovely  in  color  and  texture,  and 
range  from  light  shades  to  dull,  effective  blacks. 
Frequently  in  our  small  houses  the  pattern  and 
color  of  Oriental  rugs  makes  it  difficult  to  combine 
them  with  other  furnishings,  but  the  rug  of  plain 
color,  harmonizing  with  the  dominant  color  of 
draperies  and  upholstery  materials,  keeps  a  rest- 
ful unity  of  color  and  pattern  in  the  room. 

Oriental  rugs  are  seldom  available  in  sizes  large 
enough  to  cover  the  center  of  the  floor.  Several 
small  rugs  are  difficult  to  place  well  and  make  too 
many  spots.  They  are  likely  to  interfere  with 
the  flat  effect  that  the  floor  should  have.  The 
plain-color  rug  comes  in  any  width,  at  prices  rang- 
ing from  $1.50  to  $15  a  square  yard.  Some  of 
the  plain-color  rugs  show  dust  and  footprints 
more  than  others,  and  these  should  be  avoided. 
It  is  always  wise  to  walk  across  such  a  rug  as  it 
lies  on  the  floor  in  the  shop  for  your  consideration. 
If  it  shows  footmarks  it  should  be  discarded  at 


6o  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

once.  Ugly-patterned  rugs  and  carpets  may  be 
successfully  dyed  to  soft,  plain  colors.  The  results 
in  such  cases  are  often  surprisingly  attractive. 
The  original  pattern  shows  as  a  darker  shade  of 
the  ground  color.  Such  dyeing  is  not  expensive, 
but  of  course  cannot  be  done  at  home,  as  the  size 
and  weight  of  material  prohibits  this. 

Jute  rugs  are  very  inexpensive  and  are  made  in 
beautiful  colorings.  They  are  only  suitable  for 
the  very  simplest  of  furnishing,  and  will  not  stand 
heavy  wear.  Neither  are  the  colors  very  fast,  and 
where  exposed  to  direct  sunlight  they  fade  quickly. 
Jute  rugs  cost  from  $3  up. 

The  old-fashioned  rag  rug  has  possibilities  which 
are  not  realized  by  the  average  person.  The  rags 
are  dyed  before  weaving  to  suit  any  color  scheme, 
and  it  is  possible  to  make  rugs  of  very  beautiful 
colors.  One  Arts  and  Crafts  group  bought  a 
large  quantity  of  old  velveteen  skirt  binding,  and 
dyed  and  bleached  and  redyed  this,  to  good  color 
combination.  From  this  rugs  were  made  that  were 
unusually  attractive  in  texture  and  color.  One 
of  dark  greens  and  golds  and  rich  oranges  was  par- 
ticularly lovely.  Directions  for  dyeing  are  given 
in  Handy  Man's  Chapter,  and,  as  every  town  or 
country  community  has  at  least  one  rag-carpet 
weaver,  it  is  possible  by  dyeing  the  rags  one's  self 
to  have  rugs  of  beautiful  color  at  very  little  cost. 
Care  should  be  taken  that  strong  warp  is  used. 
In  the  rag  rug  on  sale  in  the  shops,  frequently 
the  warp  is  poor  and  breaks  after  short  use,  thus 


RUGS  AND  CURTAINS  6i 

making  the  rug  useless.  One  disadvantage  of 
rag  rugs  is  that  they  gather  dirt  in  the  folds. 
They  should  be  beaten  thoroughly  every  week,  and 
at  least  twice  a  year  either  steam-cleaned  or 
washed. 

Vacuum  cleaners  do  not  add  to  the  longevity 
of  rugs  and  upholstery.  One  firm  refuses  to  guar- 
antee tapestries  or  rugs  that  arc  to  be  cleaned  with 
vacuum  cleaner.  Oriental  rugs  should  never  be 
steam-cleaned,  but  washed  in  soap  and  water. 
When  they  show  signs  of  wear  it  is  well  to  have 
them  mended  by  an  Oriental  who  makes  a  busi- 
ness of  doing  this.  The  cost  is  slight  and  the  life 
of  the  rug  much  lengthened.  These  men  also  wash 
the  rugs  well  and  cheaply.  It  is  wise  to  change 
rugs  about,  frequently,  to  distribute  the  heavy 
wear  evenly. 

Rugs  are  one  of  the  expensive  items  in  furnish- 
ing, but  it  is  much  better  to  buy  them  of  good 
quality,  for  the  cheaper  ones  are  made  largely  of 
cotton  and  jute,  and  with  very  little  wear  they  be- 
come drab  in  color  and  frayed  and  worn  in  spots. 
A  good  Oriental  rug  will  outwear  a  half-dozen  do- 
mestic rugs. 

After  wall-paper  and  rugs  are  chosen,  it  is  well 
to  consider  next  the  curtaining  of  a  room.  Cur- 
tains wear  out^  they  fade,  they  change  with  fash- 
ions. "I  am  looking  for  curtain  materials"  is 
frequently  heard  in  spring  and  autumn,  and  the 
multitudes  of  different  curtain  materials  in  every 
shop  may  well  keep  one  long  a-search  for  the  right 


62  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

texttire,  color,  and  perhaps  patterns.  Lace  cur- 
tains with  their  elaborate  patterns  and  staring 
white  stiffness  have  fortunately  come  to  a  well- 
deserved  end.  Figured  madras  with  its  large  pat- 
terns and  crude  colors  has  also  passed  even  the 
department  store's  approval.  But  we  are  still 
buying  simple  nets  and  scrims  and  lawns  and 
Swisses,  and  good  reproductions  of  old  damasks 
and  figured  velvets  and  gay  chintzes. 

Why  are  windows  curtained?  Usually  for  one 
of  two  reasons,  or  a  little  of  both.  One  reason  for 
curtains  is  to  soften  the  glare  of  incoming  light; 
the  other  reason  is  to  shut  out  the  out-of-doors, 
and  not  present  the  drama  of  one's  family  life  to 
the  passer-by.  And  there  is  the  outside  appear- 
ance of  curtains  to  be  considered  as  well  as  the 
inside. 

All  the  shades  should  be  of  one  color  and  a  coior 
suitable  to  the  window-casing  and  the  outside  of 
the  house.  This  will  give  the  outside  of  the  house 
an  impression  of  unity  and  orderliness.  If  it  is 
desirable  to  have  another  color  for  the  inside  of 
the  shades,  double-faced  shades  are  only  slightly 
more  expensive  than  those  of  one  color.  Inci- 
dentally, shades  should  be  kept  rolled  to  the  same 
level,  and  not  only  all  shades  but  all  curtains 
which  show  from  the  outside  should  be  somewhat 
similar  in  color,  texture,  and  method  of  hanging. 

Once  and  three-quarters  the  width  of  the  win- 
dow for  net  curtains  and  once  and  one-half  the 
width  for  heavier  materials  will  give  the  necessary 


RUGS  AND  CURTAINS  63 

fullness.  The  construction  of  the  window-frame 
and  the  general  style  of  furnishing  of  the  room 
largely  determines  the  length  of  curtains.  If  the 
walls  are  thick  and  the  frame  of  the  window  ex- 
tends into  the  depth  of  wall,  making  a  recess  of 
the  window  inclosure,  long  curtains  of  chintz,  silk, 
or  velvet  may  extend  to  the  floor,  and  emphasize 
the  structural  inclosure  of  the  window.  In  a 
simply  furnished  room,  and  where  the  window- 
frame  extends  neither  in  nor  out,  but  is  fairly  flush 
with  the  wall,  the  curtains  should  extend  to  the 
bottom  of  the  window  -  frame.  Sash  -  curtains 
should  be  short  enough  to  clear  the  window-sill. 
The  length  of  curtains  should  always  coincide  with 
some  structural  line  and  emphasize  either  the 
length  of  window  inclosure  or  the  length  of  the 
window-frame. 

Ample  allowance  should  be  made  for  shrinkage 
of  curtains.  It  is  well  to  allow  at  least  twelve 
inches  for  scrim  and  at  least  six  inches  for  nets, 
muslins,  and  other  cotton  wash-materials.  It  is 
often  well,  with  such  curtains,  to  leave  the  bottom 
hem  (of  triple  thickness)  fastened  only  with  a 
basting  or  running  stitch  until  the  first  laundering. 
The  hem  is  then  easily  ripped  and  readjusted  after 
the  shrinkage.  Scrim  will  shrink  a  great  deal  even 
after  several  launderings,  and  should  have  special 
allowance  made  for  this.  There  are  many  inex- 
pensive nets  which  may  be  used  for  the  outside 
curtains.  They  should  be  edged  with  a  narrow 
braid  or  lace  edging  and  hung  on  a  separate  rod 


64  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

close  to  the  window-frame.  A  more  formal  ar- 
rangement is  one  where  the  net  is  made  into  a 
panel,  with  medallions  and  insertions  of  real  lace, 
and  hung  straight  and  fastened  close  to  the  glass. 

For  the  inside  curtains  a  heavier  material  should 
be  used,  of  quahty,  design,  and  color  suitable  to 
the  furnishing  of  the  room.  Soft  silks  and  heavier 
damasks  may  be  used,  hung  straight  at  either  side 
of  the  window.  The  many  charming  chintzes 
now  on  the  market  add  design  and  color  and  give 
a  cheerful,  gay  effect  to  an  infonnal  room. 

One  must  be  very  careful  to  have  the  curtains 
repeat  the  colors  used  in  rugs  and  upholstery 
materials,  otherwise  the  windows  stand  out  in 
vivid  contrast  and  make  unpleasant  breaks  in  the 
background  of  the  walls. 

Where  there  is  a  group  of  two  or  more  windows 
the  net  curtains  should  be  hmig  at  each  window, 
the  inside  curtains  hung  only  at  each  end  of  the 
group.  A  valance  of  the  heavier  material  may  be 
hung  across  the  entire  group,  connecting  the  two 
inside  ctutains. 

Casement-windows  with  small  panels  of  leaded 
glass  require  but  one  curtain  to  each  window. 
Casement-windows  with  clear  glass  may  hsivc 
net  ciu'tains  next  the  glass  fastened  to  rods  at  top 
and  bottom  and  curtains  of  silk,  chintz,  or  outside 
material,  either  at  each  end  or  hung  at  each  wdn- 
dow. 

For  semicircular  and  half-semicircular  win- 
dows, net  with  an  insertion  patleni  of  lace  or 


RUGS  AND  CURTAINS  65 

medallion  repeating  the  shape  of  the  window  may 
be  fastened  straight  to  the  window.  Plain  net  or 
scrim  may  be  arranged  in  plaits  radiating  from 
the  center  of  semicircular  window  or  from  the 
comer  angle  of  the  half-semicircular  window. 
Semicircular  lunettes  over  windows  should  be 
similarly  curtained.  Very  high  windows  will  ap- 
l)ear  shorter  if  two  sets  of  half-length  curtains  are 
used,  one  hung  on  the  lower  window-sash,  the 
upper  one  hung  from  a  rod  across  the  top  of  the 
window-frame,  extending  over  the  low^er  curtain, 
just  enough  to  cover  the  rod  of  the  lower  sash-cur- 
tain. 

Valances  may  be  used  on  all  windows,  but  they 
are  especially  necessary  across  groups  of  two  or 
more  windows  and  over  very  broad  single  win- 
dows. By  carrying  the  materials  of  the  side- 
curtains  across  they  frame  in  the  window  and 
keep  an  arcliitectural  unity.  A  simple  ruffled 
valance  may  be  gathered  on  the  rod  with  the  side- 
curtains.  If  the  window  is  a  large  one,  the  valance 
should  be  hung  on  a  separate  rod  and  extend 
across  over  the  entire  curtain  arrangement.  These 
simple  valances  are  suitable  for  light-weight  mate- 
rials and  in  informal  rooms. 

In  a  foraial  room,  where  the  curtains  are  of 
silk  or  velvet,  the  shaped  valance  may  be  used. 
It  is  fastened  on  a  special  box-like  arrangement, 
which  extends  out  from  the  window-frame.  The 
side-curtains  should  hang  straight  at  cither  side. 
In  all  cases  care  must  be  taken  that  the  curtains 


66  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

are  hung  so  that  they  may  be  easily  drawn  to- 
gether and  open  again  without  interfering  with 
valance  or  other  curtains. 

If  the  walls  are  plain  in  color  and  flat  in  tone, 
pattern  curtain  materials  may  be  used.  If  the 
walls  are  patterned  plain  curtain  materials  should 
be  used.  Many  shops  carry  chintzes  and  wall- 
papers of  similar  patterns,  but  these  are  difficult 
to  use  in  combination,  requiring,  as  they  do,  the 
utmost  simplicity  in  furniture,  rugs,  and  uphol- 
stery materials.  Chintz  is  more  effective  when 
used  with  plain  walls. 

Various  attractive  nets  may  be  had  at  prices 
varying  from  30  cents  to  $1  a  yard.  Silk  dra- 
peries cost  from  75  cents  to  $4  a  yard.  Very  at- 
tractive chintzes  arc  in  the  market  at  prices  vary- 
ing from  25  cents  to  $4  a  yard.  For  windows 
where  but  one  curtain  is  to  be  used,  there  are  many 
attractive  materials  in  scrim,  swiss,  dotted  and 
figured  muslins  and  dimities.  One  country  house 
of  dark-wood  interior  and  rough  plaster  walls  was 
very  effective  with  curtains  of  yellow  checked 
gingham  on  either  side  of  the  low,  broad  windows. 
And  a  low-ceiling  dining-room  of  gray  walls  and 
blue  woodwork,  and  blue  and  white  china,  had 
cm'tains  of  wide  blue-and- white-striped  muslin. 

There  are  many  inexpensive  materials  possible 
for  curtains,  and  one  need  not  be  restricted  to  the 
curtain-furnishing  department  of  shops.  Often 
most  attractive  colors  and  patterns  may  be  found 
among  the  cotton  dress  fabrics.     Especially  is  this 


RUGS  AND  CURTAINS  67 

true  if  the  dye-pot  is  called  into  assistance.  The 
directions  for  dyeing  given  in  Handy  Man's 
Chapter  will  enable  one  to  evolve  beautiful 
colors  harmonious  to  the  rest  of  the  furnishing 
of  the  room  out  of  the  least  expensive  materials. 
Unbleached  muslin,  for  instance,  has  interesting 
texture  and  may  be  dyed  to  match  any  color 
scheme.  With  walls,  rugs,  and  curtains  beautiful 
and  similar  in  color,  the  house-furnishing  is  well 
along  the  way. 

6 


VI 

CHAIRS  AND  TABLES   OF   THE   PAST 

CHAIRS  and  tables  make  up  the  large  number 
of  pieces  of  furniture  in  a  house,  and  a  great 
deal  of  the  unity  and  beauty  of  furnishing  the 
average  house  depends  on  their  selection.  Every 
housekeeper  ought  to  be  something  of  a  specialist 
in  what  directly  concerns  her  home,  but  the  aver- 
age home-maker  has  vague  ideas  about  the  history 
of  furniture.  She  knows  that  a  style  of  furniture 
is  often  identified  with  the  name  of  a  king  or  a 
queen.  She  usually  takes  it  for  granted  that  all 
French  furniture  is  gilded.  And,  although  she 
may  share  in  the  popular  scornful  dismissal  of 
the  Victorian  horsehair  furniture,  she  usually 
selects  and  buys  her  chairs  and  tables  without 
knowledge  of  their  family  history. 

She  supposes  that  such  knowledge  is  only 
for  the  collector,  the  specialist.  But  just  as 
it  is  easier  to  understand  grown-ups  if  one 
knows  their  childhood,  so  one  can  be  surer  of 
knowing  about  chairs  and  tables  and  their  suita- 
bility if  something  is  known  of  their  cousins,  sis- 
ters, and  aunts,  and  their  surroundings.    Chairs 


CHAIRS  AND  TABLES  OF  THE  PAST     69 

and  tables  have  developed  gradually  from  simple 
chest  and  trestle-board  beginnings.  That  is  why 
it  is  necessary  to  give  these  brief  chapters  on  the 
history  of  furniture,  outlining  the  important  es- 
sentials of  each  period.  It  is  an  outhne  that  can 
be  filled  out  with  more  detail  as  the  housekeeper's 
knowledge  and  interest  in  chairs  and  tables  in- 
creases. 

There  was  published  in  England  a  few  years  ago 
a  book  on  old  furniture  which  comments  on  the 
extravagant  and  indiscriminate  buying  by  Amer- 
icans. The  writer  charges  that  Americans  have 
demoralized  the  European  dealers  and  shop- 
keepers. He  says  that  the  American  buys  without 
knowledge  or  taste,  and  is  willing  to  spend  any 
amount  of  money  for  something  that  is  distin- 
guished by  notoriety  or  price.  And  then  the  au- 
thor describes  his  development  as  a  collector. 
He  confesses  that  he  did  not  know  very  much 
when  he  began  to  collect  old  furniture;  that  he 
made  mistakes;  and  that,  although  he  learned 
much,  there  is  yet  much  to  learn.  He  tells  that 
in  London  twenty-five  years  ago  he  bought  a  fine 
Chippendale  arm-chair  for  five  shillings  ($1.25) 
which  would  now  bring  fifty  pounds  ($250).  He 
bought  a  Sheraton  settee  years  ago  for  seven  shil- 
lings ($1.75).  He  found  it  in  the  servants'  hall  of 
an  English  country  house.  All  of  England,  he  ex- 
plains, was  then  in  the  throes  of  a  fashion  for 
draped  mantels,  antimacassars,  and  horsehair. 

That  period  has  passed,  and  he  measures  the 


70  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

present  high  standard  of  taste  by  the  increased  de- 
mand and  high  prices  paid  for  good  old  furniture. 
The  bad  taste  and  lack  of  discrimination  of  Amer- 
icans was  contemporary  with  the  bad  taste  of  the 
English.  The  decline  of  taste  in  America  was  con- 
temporary with  the  decline  of  good  taste  in  Eng- 
land, just  as  the  good  Colonial  furniture  of  the 
preceding  century  was  contemporary  with  the 
best  English,  Dutch,  and  French  cabinet  work  of 
that  century. 

In  America  in  the  eighties  there  was  no  William 
Morris  or  Walter  Crane  to  lead  a  reaction  against 
the  ugliness  of  the  average  home.  The  most  con- 
crete example  of  this  reaction  in  America  was  in 
the  form  of  the  Mission  or  Craftsman  furniture. 
The  straight  lines  and  solid  simple  construction 
were  a  reaction  from  over-elaborate  decoration 
and  poor  construction.  How  these  two  always  go 
together!  "Mission,"  meaning  "missionary,"  ex- 
plains the  reason  for  the  existence  of  this  type  of 
furniture  better  than  it  is  explained  by  any  rela- 
tion it  bears  to  the  old  missions  of  California. 

The  Mission  and  Craftsman  furniture  was  an 
effective  protest  against  bric-a-brac  gewgaw  ugli- 
ness; but,  although  it  has  strength  and  often  is 
comfortable,  it  does  not  fill  the  new  needs  of  the 
house  whose  doors  it  opened.  It  will  always  be 
suitable  for  bungalow,  beamed  living-room,  and 
halls  or  porch,  but  it  lacks  the  finer  line  and  the 
adaptability  necessary  for  the  average  city  house 
or  apartment.     It  is  often  too  large,  too  heavy. 


CHAIRS  AND  TABLES  OF  THE  PAST     71 

and  too  clumsy.  There  is  a  lack  of  grace  and 
beauty.  It  represents  the  simple  beginnings  of 
furniture-making,  but  only  the  a  b  c's  of  the  craft. 

The  need  for  sound  construction  and  simple 
decoration  that  was  expressed  in  this  type  of 
furniture  was  the  forecast  of  a  renaissance.  It 
was  the  beginning  of  an  appreciation  of  the  need 
for  simplicity  and  beauty  in  our  houses.  If  a  room 
is  to  have  simpHcity  and  beauty  everything  in 
that  room  must  belong  there  because  of  its  special 
fitness  for  that  particular  room,  and,  more  than 
that,  it  must  belong  to  the  particular  part  of  the 
room  where  it  is  to  be  placed.  Then  in  order  to 
have  unity — and  this  is  fundamentally  necessary — 
every  piece  of  furniture  should  be  similar  in  general 
character  to  every  other  piece.  The  incongruities 
one  sees ! 

The  unity  of  a  room  may  be  spoiled  by  one 
piece  of  furniture.  It  may  be  a  fine  piece  of 
furniture  in  itself,  but  entirely  out  of  harmony 
with  its  surroundings.  A  beautiful  Colonial  Hving- 
room  may  lose  its  beauty  by  the  introduction  of 
a  Morris  chair!  Yet  the  house-mistress  who  per- 
mits such  a  room  would  never  think  of  wearing 
heavy  walking-boots  with  an  evening  dress! 

But  you  ask  how  is  the  ordinary  person  to  know 
the  family  traits  of  furniture  and  to  find  the 
resemblances.  They  lie  in  the  main  lines  oj 
structure  and  in  the  general  character  of  the  decora- 
tion. It  is  in  the  main  lines  of  structure  that 
the  furniture  should  be  similar.     And  what  are 


72  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

the  main  structural  lines  of  furniture  and  charac- 
ter of  decoration  ? 

It  is  not  as  formidable  as  it  sounds  to  say  that 
it  is  necessary  to  know  something  of  the  history 
of  the  best  periods  of  furniture-making  and  of  the 
transitions  from  period  to  period.  The  history  of 
furniture  is  a  broad  subject,  but  is  not  a  difficult 
one.     The  great  epochs  stand  out  clearly  defined. 

The  average  home-maker  can  learn  all  that  is 
necessary  to  know  just  as  she  works  out  a  new 
recipe.  Indeed,  it  is  a  new  recipe,  only  it  is  for 
making  a  more  beautiful  home,  and  not  a  new 
cake.  Knowledge  of  the  beauty  of  the  furniture 
of  the  past  is  the  only  road  to  the  knowledge  and 
taste  that  are  essential  to  furnish  the  home  of 
to-day  with  beauty  as  well  as  comfort.  Those 
who  know  what  is  good  in  line  and  construction 
of  furniture  can  select  and  use  effectively  the  old 
furniture,  the  reproduction  of  the  old  furniture, 
and  the  new  furniture  that  is  in  the  markets. 

And  it  is  very  interesting,  the  history  of  furni- 
ture. At  first  it  may  seem  complicated,  but  as 
one  goes  on  the  furniture  of  a  period  relates  it- 
self to  and  amplifies  the  history  of  the  time,  and 
even  with  a  limited  knowledge  of  history,  men 
and  manners,  kings  and  dates  evolve  in  a  new  and 
vital  setting.  Nothing  can  bring  us  so  concretely 
in  touch  with  the  realities  of  a  period  as  the 
handiwork  of  the  people  of  that  period.  How 
strangely  the  piece  of  needlework  or  a  written 
date  in  an  old  book  connects  with  the  past ! 


CHAIRS  AND  TABLES  OP  THE  PAST     73 

And  the  furniture  of  a  people  tells  us  so  much  of 
the  real  people.  It  shows  their  skill  and  work- 
manship. It  is  a  record  of  their  inventiveness  or 
lack  of  it.  It  shows  the  woods  of  their  forests, 
and  of  their  travel  in  foreign  lands.  It  explains 
their  manners.  How  fashion  and  manners  dic- 
tated to  the  cabinet-makers  and  upholsterers! 
The  broad  richly  cushioned  chair  of  Louis  XIV. 
makes  us  realize  more  than  any  written  descrip- 
tion could  the  elegance  and  luxury  of  that  great 
monarch.  When  a  reproduction  of  the  narrow 
straight-back  Stuart  chair  in  the  famous  Van 
Dyck  picture  can  be  purchased  in  a  department 
store  the  past  walks  into  to-day  with  as  real  a 
feeling  as  it  had  for  the  old  lady  who  used  to 
insist  that,  "Those  Stuart  boys  were  not  brought 
up  properly  and  they  never  had  a  chance." 

•  The  opportunities  for  learning  about  ftuniture 
and  the  history  of  its  various  periods  of  develop- 
ment vary  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The 
museums  in  the  larger  cities  are  adding  collections 
of  decorative  arts.  The  Metropolitan  Museum 
in  New  York  has  a  fine  collection  of  French, 
English,  and  American  furniture,  and  good  ex- 
amples of  Italian  and  German.  Any  one  in- 
terested in  furniture  should  plan  to  spend  several 
days  there  during  a  visit  to  New  York.  In  many 
of  the  older  cities  the  D.  A.  R.  and  similar  organi- 
zations support  historic  houses  which  have  been 
authentically  furnished  in  the  furniture  of  their 
historic  period.    The  Jumel  house  and  the  Van 


74  FURNISHING  THE  HOME. 

Cortlandt  mansion  in  New  York  City  and  Wash- 
ington's home  at  Mount  Vemon  are  each  well 
worth  a  visit  for  the  furniture  they  contain. 

In  the  East  and  near  the  big  cities  the  antique 
shops  and  large  interior-decorating  shops  are 
fascinating  places  to  visit  and  offer  invaluable 
opportunities  for  seeing  and  studying  different 
kinds  of  furniture,  of  different  woods,  and  in  vary- 
ing conditions  of  wear.  These  shops  always 
welcome  strangers  and  visitors,  and  will  courte- 
ously answer  questions  about  furniture  and  give 
information  about  utility  and  price. 

The  novice  need  not  be  frightened  at  the  high 
prices.  She  is  only  finding  out  what  rare  pieces 
of  beautiful  furniture  cost.  Only  through  compar- 
ing the  many  kinds  of  furniture  comes  the  ability 
to  discriminate  between  the  old  furniture  and  the 
reproduction  and,  what  is  most  important,  be- 
tween the  good  and  poor  reproduction.  Then, 
too,  there  is  always  the  possibility  of  finding  a 
bargain  which  has  escaped  the  eyes  of  a  dealer,  a 
sometimes  ugly  duckling  in  its  poor  condition, 
to  be  made  over  by  a  skilled  wood-finisher  into  a 
surprisingly  good  piece  of  furniture.  In  second- 
hand shops  and  in  obscure  antique  shops  good 
pieces  of  old  furniture  can  often  be  found  at 
reasonable  prices,  but  there  are  now  so  many 
dealers  in  the  market,  and  so  much  has  been 
published  in  the  newspapers  about  the  prices 
old  furniture  brings,  that  it  is  difficult  to  get  really 
fine  pieces  without  paying  high  prices  for  them. 


CHAIRS  AND  TABLES  OF  THE  PAST     75 

The  amateur  must  be  wary  of  the  modem 
antiques.  In  Paris  are  sold  worm-eaten  pieces  of 
so-called  old  French  furniture  that  have  been  im- 
ported from  Grand  Rapids  factories.  The  porches 
of  farm-houses  on  good  automobile  roads  have 
been  known  to  contain  furniture  which  was  sold 
as  family  heirlooms  and  the  profits  divided  be- 
tween the  farmer  and  the  dealer  who  had  placed 
them  there  on  sale.  Although  few  dealers  will 
offer  a  modem  reproduction  and  guarantee  it  as 
an  antique,  it  is  better  to  go  to  a  firm  of  high 
standing  if  a  good  old  piece  of  furniture  is 
wanted. 

There  are  a  great  many  books  written  on  the 
history  of  furnitiu-e,  well  illustrated,  and  pub- 
lished at  available  prices.  Many  of  them  are 
good  reading.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  more  of 
them  are  not  on  the  lists  of  traveHng  libraries  in 
small  towns  and  rural  communities.  They  would 
be  interesting  to  the  average  housekeeper,  espe- 
cially in  an  old  community,  and  would  help  to 
develop  an  interest  and  expression  in  the  beauty 
side  of  the  house. 

It  would  be  absurd  to  set  up  as  a  standard  for 
everybody  the  using  of  old  fiuniture  throughout 
a  house!  In  the  first  place,  there  is  not  enough  of 
it;  in  the  second  place,  few  people  have  time  and 
energy  and  knowledge  to  gather  old  furniture  to- 
gether; and  in  the  third  place,  it  is  often  in  such 
poor  condition  that  it  is  not  any  better  than,  and 
sometimes  not  so  good  as,  the  modern  reproduc- 


76  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

tions  of  old  furniture,  nor  so  suitable  in  style  and 
price  as  some  modem  furniture. 

It  frequently  costs  more  to  furnish  a  house  with 
old  fiuniture  than  with  good  reproductions,  and  it 
costs  more  to  furnish  with  good  reproductions  than 
with  some  of  the  very  good-looking  and  well-con- 
structed new  furniture  in  the  market.  It  is  all  very 
well  for  a  person  who  has  inherited  some  fine  old 
furniture  to  add  what  is  necessary  of  the  same  kind, 
but  an  entirely  new  house  to  be  newly  furnished  out 
of  a  limited  purse  may  be  furnished  in  beauty  and 
usefulness  by  a  selection  from  the  reproductions 
of  old  furniture  or  the  new,  or  a  combination  of 
both.  But  to  choose  wisely  from  this  unmapped 
field  of  new  furniture  is  possible  only  to  those 
who  have  gained  some  knowledge  of  what  are  good 
lines  and  sound  structure  from  the  good  furniture 
that  has  been  made  and  has  stood  the  test  of 
time  and  fashion. 

All  over  the  country  a  new  interest  in  good 
furniture  is  expressing  itself.  Yet  in  the  average 
furniture  shop  and  the  furniture  department  of 
the  large  department  stores  of  most  of  our  cities 
there  is  such  a  lot  of  incredibly  ugly  furniture  of 
poor  construction  and  cheap  finish  that  it  is  not 
strange  that  few  houses  are  furnished  in  good  taste, 
but  it  is  surprising  that  they  are  no  worse  than  they 
are.  Patience  and  discrimination  will  find  some- 
times in  a  kitchen  chair  better  lines  and  a  more 
suitable  chair  for  the  dining-room  than  another 
at  a  much  higher  price.    It  is  encouraging,  too. 


CHAIRS  AND  TABLES  OF  THE  PAST     77 

to  see  the  great  improvement  of  the  last  few 
years.  Fifteen  years  ago,  so-called  golden  oak, 
with  its  ugly  yellow  varnish — insistent  in  shine, 
ugly  in  line  and  sham  carving — was  practically 
the  only  available  furniture.  To-day  most  shops 
keep  at  least  a  small  stock  of  the  better  grade  of 
reproductions,  in  response  to  this  increasing  de- 
mand for  simpler,  better  furniture. 


t 


VII 

OLD    ENGLISH    FURNITURE 

Renaissance  —  Elizabethan  —  Tudor 

Henry  VIII.,  1509-1547.   Edward  VI.,  I547-I553-    Mary, 
1553-1558.     Elizabeth,  1558-1603. 

Woods  used:    Oak,  chestnut,  some  walnut,  and  sometimes 

English  elm. 
Upholstery  materials:    Leather,  velvets,  fringes. 

THE  old  English  furniture  of  Tudor  and  Eliza- 
bethan times  is  of  straight  lines  and  is  strong 
and  simple  in  construction.  English  oak  was  the 
wood  most  frequently  used,  and  it  was  generally 
unstained  and  never  varnished.  The  rich  color 
and  dull  gloss  of  old  paneled  rooms  and  furniture 
has  been  given  by  time  and  wear.  An  old  coat 
will  acquire  with  wear  the  same  kind  of  a  polish. 

The  decoration  of  the  furniture  of  this  period 
was  carving  and  the  variations  of  turning  produced 
by  the  lathe.  There  were  few  pieces  of  furniture 
in  these  days — only  tables,  chairs,  beds,  and  chests. 
The  chairs  were  of  two  kinds,  those  with  solid 
paneled  backs  decorated  with  carving,  and  those 
of  open  backs  decorated  with  turning.  The  panels 
of  the  solid-back  chairs  were  high,  and  later  devel- 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  79 

oped  an  open  space  between  the  back  and  the 
seat.  They  were  sometimes  called  wainscot  chairs, 
from  their  resemblance  to  the  paneled  wainscot. 
They  had  straight  lines  and  solid  construction. 
The  legs  were  vertical  and  were  braced  with  four 
rails  near  the  floor.  The  seats  were  of  wood  and 
sometimes  had  cushions  of  tapestry  or  velvet. 
Later  the  seats  were  upholstered  in  leather,  tapes- 
try, or  velvet  cushions,  which  were  fastened  on 
with  nails  of  patterned  metal  heads. 

Long  narrow  tables  were  used.  The  diners  sat 
on  one  side  only,  and  food  was  served  from  across 
the  table.  The  master's  chair,  usually  the  only 
chair  in  the  house,  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
table.  Guests  and  other  members  of  the  family 
sat  on  long  benches.  These  benches  had  no 
backs  and,  hke  the  chairs  and  tables,  were  braced 
with  fotir  rails  near  the  floor. 

Chests  had  a  low  bulbous  leg  at  each  cor- 
ner to  keep  them  from  the  damp  floors.  Later 
these  developed  into  cupboards  and  stood  on 
higher  legs  and  had  drawers  under  the  cupboard 
spaces.  In  the  cupboards  and  dressers  were  kept 
the  pewter  and  silver  as  well  as  the  food.  All  the 
fumittu-e  of  this  period  was  large  and  massive. 
The  beds  were  huge  and  had  large  carved  posts 
and  solid  tops  and  backs. 

The  decoration  of  the  furniture  of  this  period 
is  always  subordinate  and  restrained  to  the 
vertical  parts  of  the  structure.  The  carving  had 
some  details  of  Gothic  designs,  but  also  developed 


8o  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

flower,  animal,  and  scroll  designs,  and  the  popular 
linen-fold  design  was  frequently  used.  The  carv- 
ing of  the  English  Renaissance  is  less  elaborate 
and  skilful  than  that  of  the  French  and  Italian 
of  this  period.  The  turnings  used  on  both  chairs 
and  tables  were  varied  in  spacings  and  propor- 
tions, and  were  very  similar  to  the  Flemish  and 
Dutch  work  of  that  period.  The  cheese-leg  table 
made  in  Flanders  was  not  unlike  the  bulbous 
melon-table  of  England. 

The  Renaissance  was  similar  all  over  Europe. 
However,  in  each  country  it  developed  national 
characteristics.  It  presents  the  beginnings  of 
the  home  ideal  and  has  given  us  examples  of 
splendid,  strong,  and  useful  furniture.  Few  houses 
of  to-day  are  large  enough  or  simple  enough  to 
be  furnished  with  such  furniture,  but  the  long 
dining-table  may  be  used  with  the  early  Jacobean 
chairs,  and  the  chests  and  cupboards  will  give 
dignity  to  any  hall  or  room  suitable  for  their  use. 

This  furniture  is  not  reproduced  very  much 
in  this  country.  It  is  too  expensive  and  too  large 
for  the  average  house. 

England — Jacobean  Furniture 

Early  Jacobean. — James  I.,  1603-1625.  Charles  I.,  1625- 
1649.  Commonwealth,  1649-1660.  Late  Jacobean — 
Stuart. — Charles  II.,  1660-1685.  James  II.,  1685- 
1688. 

Woods  used:    Oak,  chestnut,  beech,  and  walnut. 
Upholstery  materials:    Tapestry,  leather,  velvets,  needle- 
work. 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  8i 

The  Jacobean  period  followed  the  Elizabethan, 
and  the  change  in  the  lines  of  the  furniture  of  the 
two  periods  is  very  gradual.  The  transition  was 
toward  less  heavy  construction  and  lighter  do-,. 
sign.  The  early  Jacobean  furniture  had  turned' 
legs  and  uprights ;  the  Hues  were  straight.  Tapes- 
try and  leather  upholstery  were  put  on  with 
large  brass  or  silver  nails.  Some  of  the  nail-heads 
were  of  hammered  or  pierced  designs. 

The  high  backs  of  the  Elizabethan  chairs  grew 
shorter  and  more  open,  and  there  was  usually  a 
space  between  the  frame  of  the  seat  and  the 
lower  part  of  the  back  panel.  The  back  was 
frequently  made  of  turned  vertical  rails.  The 
banister  back  is  of  this  type.  Another  Jacobean 
chair  with  low  back  panel  and  seat  of  leather  and 
turned  legs  and  braces  is  called  the  Cromwell 
chair.  It  was  used  by  Cromwell  when  he  was 
Protector  of  the  Commonwealth  of  England. 
These  chairs  were  similar  to  those  made  in 
Flanders  and  Holland.  The  Cromwell  chair  is 
very  like  the  Rubens  chair,  so  called  because  they 
were  in  the  great  painter's  house  in  Antwerp. 

The  Windsor  chair,  so  well  and  inexpensively 
copied  nowadays  and  suitable  in  so  many  places, 
is  also  of  this  period.  The  name  is  accounted  for 
by  the  story  that  Charles  II.  saw  this  chair 
which  had  been  made  by  a  country  workman  in 
front  of  his  cottage  near  Windsor,  and  he  ordered 

1  On  the  lathe. 


82  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

several  made  for  a  room  at  Windsor  Castle. 
The  later  Queen  Anne  wheel-back  was  a  combina- 
tion of  the  Windsor  spindles  with  the  center 
straight  splat  of  a  Queen  Anne  chair.  This  panel 
sometimes  had  a  circular  open  pattern  in  the 
center,  which  gave  the  chair  the  name  of  wheel- 
back. 

Later  chairs  of  this  type  had  spindles  and 
a  center  splat  with  very  simple  open  designs, 
anticipating  the  later  Queen  Anne  and  Chippen- 
dale back.  The  slats  were  straight  and  were  not 
curved  to  fit  the  lines  of  the  body.  These  chairs 
were  made  with  and  without  arms.  The  finest 
examples  of  the  center-slat  back  and  spindle  arm- 
chairs sometimes  had  cabriole  legs,  showing  the 
Dutch  influence,  which  so  dominated  the  Queen 
Anne  period.  The  Windsor  chairs  were  distinctly 
cottage  furniture  and  were  used  in  the  simpler 
houses.  The  slat  back,  or  Queen  Anne  wheel- 
back,  was  not  made  in  America. 

The  chairs  of  the  latter  part  of  the  Jacobean 
period  show  the  French  influence  in  the  beautiful 
carving  and  increasing  lightness  of  construction. 
Charles  II.  had  spent  much  of  his  early  life  in 
France,  and  his  taste  had  been  developed  by  the 
elegance  and  luxury  of  the  French  court.  With 
his  Spanish  wife  came  the  influence  of  Spanish 
richness  in  decoration.  James  II.  continued  the 
French  spirit. 

The  edict  of  Nantes,  1685,  forcing  all  Protest- 
ants to  leave  France,  sent  thousands  of  skilled 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  83 

workmen  into  England,  Holland,  and  Flanders 
and  did  much  toward  developing  the  skill  and 
taste  of  the  English  craftsman.  The  chairs  of  the 
latter  part  of  the  Jacobean  period  had  beautifully 
carved  upright  and  stretcher,  with  back  panel  and 
seat  of  cane  or  upholstered.  Cane  had  been  in- 
troduced by  the  East  India  Trading  Company, 
and  became  very  popular.  In  the  late  Jacobean 
period  and  in  the  time  of  William  and  Mary  it  was 
used  extensively  for  chairs,  benches,  and  beds. 
Rich  tapestries,  damasks,  and  leather,  with 
fringes,  were  used  for  upholstery  and  were  fastened 
on  with  beautifully  designed  silver  and  brass 
nails.  Mirrors  came  into  more  general  use  in  the 
latter  part  of  this  period. 

The  long  rectangular  dining-table  of  the 
Elizabethan  period,  shown  in  photograph  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  underwent  many  changes  in 
the  Jacobean  period.  As  furniture  was  more  pop- 
ularly used  it  necessarily  became  more  adapt- 
able. 

The  gate -leg  table  of  the  Jacobean  period 
had  drop-leaves  on  each  side.  It  could  be  used 
with  both  leaves  extended  as  a  dining-table,  with 
one  leaf  down  and  against  the  wall  in  a  semi- 
circular form  or  with  both  leaves  down,  leaving  a 
rectangular  table.  The  frame  of  the  table  was 
rectangular,  with  four  turned  legs  firmly  con- 
nected with  braces;  extending  out  from  this 
frame  on  either  side  was  the  braced  or  gate  leg 
which  held  up  the  table-leaf.  Sometimes  there 
7 


84  FURNISHING  THE   HOME 

were  gates  to  each  side;  this  table  was  sometimes 
called  the  thousand-leg  table.  The  top  was 
usually  round  or  oval  with  both  leaves  up  and 
rectangular  with  the  dropped  leaves. 

The  dressers  and  cupboards  of  this  period  were 
lighter  than  the  Elizabethan,  and  they  stood  on 
turned  legs  and  had  drawers  which  were  paneled 
in  rectangular  designs.  They  had  the  drop- 
handles  fastened  to  a  plate  cut  in  simple  round, 
square,  or  circular  designs  and  held  to  the 
drawer  by  a  looped  wire  through  a  hole  in  the 
drawer-front. 

Oak,  sometimes  chestnut,  was  used  in  the  early 
Jacobean  period.  Oak,  walnut,  and  beech  were 
commonly  used  in  the  later  Stuart  period. 
Pear-wood  was  sometimes  used  for  carving. 
The  Windsor  chairs  were  usually  made  of  hickory. 

The  tables  and  chairs  of  the  Jacobean  period 
have  been  very  well  reproduced.  The  gate-leg 
table  is  now  made  in  oak,  walnut,  and  mahogany, 
and  is  a  useful  and  decorative  table  for  dining- 
room,  hall,  or  Hbrary,  The  Jacobean  chairs  with 
cane  panels  and  seats  are  strong  and  attractive 
and  are  very  suitable  for  a  dining-room  or  for  the 
straight  chairs  of  the  living-room.  They  are, 
perhaps,  a  little  too  stiff  and  formal  for  the 
average  bedroom. 

The  most  frequent  examples  of  Jacobean 
furniture  are  the  banister-back  chair,  the  Stuart 
chair,  the  Windsor  chair,  and  the  gate -leg 
table. 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  85 

England — Dutch  Influence 
William    and    Mary,    1689-1694.      William,    1694-1702. 
Queen  Anne,  1702-1714. 

Woods  used:    Walnut,  beech,  oak. 

Upholstery  material:    Needlework,  silks,  leather. 

It  is  difficult  to  draw  the  line  of  demarcation 
between  the  period  of  James  II.,  the  last  of  the 
French-English  type,  and  that  of  William  and 
Mary,  the  first  of  the  Dutch-English  type.  The 
Dutch  influence  came  definitely  into  Enghsh 
workshops  when  William  of  Holland,  Prince  of 
Orange,  became  King  of  England.  Beginning 
with  the  time  of  William  and  Mary,  and  during 
the  following  reign  of  Queen  Anne  and  George  I., 
the  fumitiu'e  showed  the  influence  of  the  sturdy 
Dutch  cabinet-makers. 

The  structural  lines  of  the  furniture  of  the 
preceding  Jacobean  period  changed  completely. 
The  backs  of  the  chairs  were  curved  to  fit 
the  line  of  the  body.  Instead  of  the  cane 
and  carved  panels  there  was  a  single  flat  piece, 
a  center  splat,  sometimes  decorated  with  re- 
lief carving  or  inlay.  The  top  corners  of  the 
back  were  rounded  and  the  seats  of  the  chairs 
became  broader.  No  stretchers  or  braces  were 
used  underneath  the  chairs.  The  curved  cabriole 
leg  with  the  claw-and-ball  foot  and  the  bandy  leg 
replaced  the  straight  leg  of  the  earHer  period  and 
were  used  on  chairs,  tables,  chests  of  drawers,  and 
sofas. 

The   tables  were   of  various   sizes   and  were 


86  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

used  for  dressing-tables,  writing-tables,  and  card- 
tables.  The  stiirdy  old  chests  and  dressers  with 
drawers  also  adopted  the  cabriole  leg  and  added 
height.  With  many  new  drawers  added,  it  grew 
into  the  very  useful  high-boy.  Without  the 
upper  chest  of  drawers  this  piece  of  furniture  is 
called  the  low-boy. 

Grandfathers  clocks  and  grandfathers  chairs 
were  popular  in  this  period.  The  grandfather 
chair  and  other  furniture  was  upholstered  in 
needlework  and  silk  damask.  The  cross-stitch 
in  wool  yams  in  many  colors  was  called  petite- 
point  or  needle  tapestry,  and  was  very  popular 
for  chair-covering.  Lacquered  leather  was  also 
used  in  upholstering.  Chinese  and  Indian  de- 
signs were  used  in  the  cotton  prints  and  papers 
of  this  time. 

Up  to  the  period  of  Dutch  influence  the  furni- 
ture had  been  made  solid  and  English  woods  had 
been  used.  But  when  the  ships  of  the  great 
Eastern  trading  companies  brought  back  with 
them  the  wonderful  lacquers  and  inlays,  porce- 
lains and  woven  stuffs  from  China  and  the 
Orient  the  influence  was  immediately  felt.  The 
Dutch  and  French  workmen  copied  the  lacquer 
and  inlays  and  acquired  great  skill  in  veneers. 

Veneering  is  a  method  of  glmng  thin  layers  of 
carefully  selected  woods  on  a  soHd  piece  to  make 
the  surface  of  a  piece  of  furniture.  The  type  of 
veneering  known  as  marquetry  differs  from  that 
known  as  inlay  in  that  marquetry  has  a  com- 


DUTCH    INFLUENCE 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  87 

plicated  pattern  and  background,  both  of  veneer. 
Inlay  is  a  pattern  set  in  the  soHd  piece  of  wood, 
the  other  part  of  the  surface  being  the  solid  wood. 
Many  different  kinds  of  woods,  tortoise-shell,  and 
ivory,  and  metal  were  used  to  make  the  marquetry 
pattern. 

The  Chinese  lacquer  was  made  from  a  black 
resin,  the  varnish  gum  of  an  Oriental  tree.  The 
Oriental  method  required  a  great  deal  of  skill. 
Sometimes  as  many  as  a  hundred  treatments  were 
given,  and  never  less  than  five.  Designs  were  put 
on  in  gold  leaf  and  often  in  color.  The  attempts 
to  copy  the  Chinese  lacquer  produced  interesting 
decorative  effects,  but  they  did  not  succeed  in 
getting  the  quality  of  the  Eastern  work.  Up  to 
this  time  wood  had  been  finished  with  rubbings  of 
oil  and  beeswax;  no  varnish  or  shellac  had  been 
used.  The  attempts  to  imitate  lacquer  brought 
about  a  deep  interest  in  the  manufacture  of 
varnish.  Reference  has  been  made  in  the  chapter 
on  French  furniture  to  the  famous  Vemis  Martin. 

There  was  a  fashion  for  collecting  china  and 
bric-^-brac  and  small  carved  and  painted  gro- 
tesqueries.  Cabinets  of  lacquer  with  many 
shelves  were  made  in  England  or  imported  from 
Holland  and  China  to  show  these  collectors. 
Secretaries  with  small  pigeonholes  and  many 
drawers  were  made  in  combination  of  desk  and 
cabinet. 

Mirrors  were  commonly  used.  They  were 
either   of   carved   wood,   sometimes   with   gold 


88  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

leaf,  or  of  lacquer.  Walnut  was  most  frequently 
used  in  the  solid  pieces  of  furniture  of  this  time. 
Beech  and  holly  wood  were  also  used.  For  ve- 
neering and  marquetry  many  imported  woods, 
as  well  as  shell,  ivory,  and  bone,  were  used. 

The  Dutch  period  had  its  contemporary 
Colonial  expression.  The  fiddle  back  is  one  of 
the  examples  of  the  early  Dutch  period.  There 
were  many  types  of  Dutch  tables.  A  popular  one 
had  drop-leaves  and  four  curved  legs,  one  of 
which  swung  out  to  support  the  leaf  when  up. 
The  tops  of  some  of  the  tables  were  cut  into  a 
solid  piece  of  wood  so  as  to  leave  a  rim  or  scal- 
loped edge  to  keep  the  dishes  from  falling  off. 
The  one  with  a  scalloped  edge  is  called  a  pie- 
crust top;  the  one  with  a  plain  rim  is  called  a 
dish  top.  The  top  tipped  down,  and  the  table 
could  be  put  against  the  wall,  and  sometimes  the 
top  revolved.  They  usually  had  a  central  pillar 
\\ath  three  finely  curved  tripod-fashion  legs. 

The  furniture  of  the  Dutch  influence  is  par- 
ticularly well  adapted  to  modem  homes,  and  has 
been  successfully  reproduced.  A  high-boy  takes 
up  no  more  room  than  the  ordinary  bureau  and 
contains  much  more  drawer-space.  It  can  stand 
in  hall  or  living-room  as  well  as  in  bedroom.  A 
home  in  Chicago  has  a  lacquer  high-boy  in  the 
library  which  is  used  to  hold  a  collection  of 
Japanese  prints  and  etchings.  It  would  be  useful 
in  a  large  living-room  to  hold  papers,  maps,  music, 
photographs,  and  the  many  small  articles  that 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  89 

collect  about  the  interests  of  the  members  of  the 
household.  In  a  hall  it  would  be  useful  to  hold 
linens.  In  a  bedroom  it  could  take  the  place  of  a 
bureau  for  drawer-space.  The  low-boy  can  be 
used  in  a  hall  under  a  mirror,  or  in  library  or  living- 
room  as  a  writing-desk,  or  in  bedroom  as  a  dress- 
ing-table, and  it  is  a  most  adaptable  piece  of 
furniture. 

The  Queen  Anne  arm-chairs  are  always  sub- 
stantial and  are  good  in  line.  They  have  one 
disadvantage  in  that  the  buttons  and  hooks  of 
dresses  scratch  the  splat  in  the  back,  and  it  is 
necessary  to  refinish  it  frequently. 

England — Georgian  Furniture 

George  I.,  1714-1727.  George  II.,  1727-1760.  George 
III.,  1760-1820. 

Chippendale,  1708-1779.  First  plates  of  design  published 
in  1753  in  Gentlemen  and  Cabinet-makers  Director, 
1754.  Four  editions  were  sold  in  England  and  the 
Colonies.     Woods  used:    Walnut  and  mahogany. 

Adam,  Robert  and  James,  1728-1792.  Published  several 
books  of  designs  for  furniture,  doors,  friezes,  silver- 
plate,  etc.  Woods  used:  Mahogany,  satinwood,  and 
painted  furniture. 

Hepplewhite,  1750-1786.  The  Cabinet-Makers  and  Uphol- 
sterers' Guide,  published  in  1788.  Woods  used:  Ma- 
hogany, satinwood,  hare-wood,  tulip-wood,  inlay,  and 
carving. 

Sheraton,  1751-1806.  Cabinet-makers  and  Upholsterers 
Draiving-Book,  published  lygi.  Woods  used:  Mahog- 
any, satinwood,  tulip-wood,  hare-wood.  Beautiful 
inlay  and  painted  furniture. 

Upholstery  materials:  Leather,  silks,  velvets,  cotton  prints. 


go  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

Good  furniture-making  in  England  was  done 
in  the  Georgian  period  and  is  best  known  through 
the  work  and  influence  of  its  great  cabinet-makers, 
Chippendale,  the  Adam  brothers,  Hepplewhite, 
and  Sheraton.  Mahogany  was  introduced  and 
used  extensively  during  this  period.  Some  of 
Chippendale's  early  work  was  done  in  walnut, 
while  later,  in  Hepplewhite's  and  Sheraton's  time, 
satin  wood,  rosewood,  pear  and  apple  wood,  tulip- 
wood,  and  many  other  kinds  as  well  as  mahogany 
were  used. 

The  great  Georgian  period  came  in  on  the 
heels  of  the  good  hne  and  strength  of  the 
Dutch  influence.  It  ended  in  the  beginnings  of 
the  redundancy  of  the  Empire  curves.  Up  to  this 
period  all  of  the  French  furniture  and  most  of  the 
finer  English  furniture  was  made  for  the  nobiHty 
and  the  wealthier  classes.  It  was  not  until  the 
Georgian  period  that  the  furniture  that  was  made 
reached  all  classes. 

Chippendale 

The  great  Thomas  Chippendale  was  the  second 
son  of  the  cabinet-maker  and  wood-carver  of  that 
name.  He  was  seventeen  years  old  when  he  went 
with  his  father  to  London  and  began  making 
furniture  in  the  then  Queen  Anne  fashion.  Like 
the  Queen  Anne  chair,  his  first  chairs  were  made 
of  walnut  and  had  the  curved  top  and  splat  and 
the  cabriole  leg.  Chippendale  first  used  the  frame- 
work of  the  Queen  Anne  type,  with  the  uphol- 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  91 

stered  seat  sunk  into  the  framework  above  the 
legs,  but  he  later  replaced  this  with  the  all- 
upholstered  seat  which  was  afterward  used  wholly 
by  Chippendale,  Sheraton,  and  Hepplewhite. 
Also  Hke  the  Queen  Anne  chairs,  the  back  and  up- 
rights were  connected  directly  with  the  chair- 
seat. 

The  splat  back  gave  him  great  scope  for  variety 
and  richness  of  design.  The  splat  was  opened,  and 
the  designs  and  carving  gradually  grew  more  and 
more  elaborate  and  complicated.  The  round, 
sloping  shoulders  of  the  Queen  Anne  chair  were 
lifted  up  at  the  comers,  giving  an  upright,  square 
appearance  to  the  back  of  the  chair.  The  legs  of 
these  chairs  were  cabriole  legs  with  claw  and  ball 
feet,  and  the  more  curved  legs  of  the  French  type, 
or  in  his  late  work,  the  straight  square  legs.  Fre- 
quently the  legs  and  front  rail  had  carving.  The 
chairs  with  cabriole  and  curved  legs  were  usually 
without  stretchers,  while  the  chairs  with  straight 
legs  had  the  legs  connected  with  three,  sometimes 
with  four  stretchers. 

Chippendale  was  strongly  influenced  by  the 
work  of  other  designers.  The  charge  is  often  made 
that  he  lacked  originality.  While  it  is  true  that 
he  copied  copiously  in  ornament  and  style  from 
other  designs,  the  impress  of  his  own  personality 
was  shown  in  every  piece  of  his  work.  There  was 
always  a  vigor  and  largeness  of  sweep  in  his  line 
and  splendid  proportions  in  the  main  parts  of  his 
furniture. 


92  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

His  adaptations  of  the  Dutch  and  French 
styles  were  successful  except  in  a  few  of  the 
over-elaborate  chair-backs  in  the  French  Rococo 
spirit.  His  work  which  was  done  in  the  manner 
of  Chinese  and  Gothic  ornament  is  marvelous  in 
the  technical  beauty  of  its  wood-carving  and 
exuberant  in  decoration,  but  it  lacks  the  feeling  for 
subordination  of  decoration  to  structure  which 
marks  the  superiority  of  his  earlier  designs.  It 
is  over-decorated. 

Most  of  these  elaborate  pieces  were  made  to 
fill  private  orders.  Horace  Walpole's  famous 
house  in  the  Gothic  manner  at  Strawberry  Hill 
is  an  illustration  of  the  fashion  which  demanded 
this  grotesque  elaborate  work  from  Chippendale. 
Fortunately,  although  Chippendale  books  of  de- 
signs for  furniture  were  used  in  all  parts  of  Eng- 
land and  her  colonies,  the  influence  of  this  extreme 
work  was  not  wide. 

Chippendale  was  after  all  a  master  carver,  and 
the  work  of  his  elaborate  period  was  beyond  the 
skill  of  the  average  cabinet-maker.  Chippendale 
had  many  orders  and  received  high  prices  for  his 
work.  For  a  chair  he  received  as  much  as  $500. 
A  chair  which  Chippendale  had  made  on  order 
and  which  has  remained  in  one  family  until  very 
recently  was  sold  last  year  for  $1,450-  Accom- 
panying it  was  the  bill  receipted  by  Chippendale 
for  $300,  which  he  received  for  the  chair.  The 
original  pieces  by  Chippendale  himself  now  bring 
fabulous  prices,  and  the  furniture  made  from  his 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  93 

designs  at  that  period  bring  varjdng  large  prices 
according  to  their  design  and  workmanship. 

Chippendale  is  best  known  and  admired  for  the 
number  and  variety  of  good  designs  for  chairs. 
He  made  many  designs  for  other  furniture.  The 
rectangular  tables  with  four  curved  legs  and 
carvings  on  the  legs  and  frame,  the  circular  pie- 
crust and  drop-top  tables  on  central  pillar  with 
three  spreading  legs  at  base,  the  tea-table  with 
Chinese  feet  border  carving,  are  well-known  ex- 
amples of  his  designs  for  tables.  He  made  cabin- 
ets, secretaries,  beds,  chests  of  drawers,  and  many 
beautiful  designs  for  mirrors. 

It  is  to  this  greatest  of  all  English  cabinet- 
makers that  we  owe  the  distinction,  strength,  and 
grace  of  line  that  was  developed  in  the  Georgian 
period  of"  furniture-making.  English  cabinet- 
makers took  rank  for  the  first  time  with  the  Conti- 
nental craftsman,  and  the  results  of  the  work  of 
this  period  created  a  whole  new  field  of  designs 
for  domestic  furniture.  Down  to  the  present 
time,  the  furniture  of  this  period  has  not  been 
improved  upon,  and  in  only  a  few  cases  have  slight 
adaptations  been  necessary  for  its  adequate  ser- 
vice in  our  modem  houses. 

Chippendale  designs  are  carried  out  in  good 
reproductions.  The  chairs  have  character  and 
distinction,  and  may  be  used  in  any  room  in  a 
modern  house.  Good  reproductions  are  also 
made  of  mirrors,  tables,  and  secretaries.  Good 
copies  of  Chippendale  chairs  may  be  bought  at 


94  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

prices  of  from  $12  to  $75,  and  tables  from  $18 
to  $75. 

The  Gentlemen  and  Cabinet-makers  Director, 
by  Chippendale,  had  a  wide  infiuence  in  the 
colonies,  and  much  of  the  furniture  that  was 
made  in  this  country  in  colonial  days  were  copies 
of  his  work  and  design. 

Robert  and  James  Adam 

Robert  and  James  Adam  were  of  Scotch  parent- 
age. They  were  sons  of  an  architect,  and  were 
themselves  trained  as  architects,  and  traveled  and 
studied  in  France  and  Italy  at  the  time  that 
Europe  was  swinging  in  reaction  from  the  elabo- 
rate design  of  the  Regency  and  Louis  XV.  to 
classical  simplicity.  The  excavations  at  Pompeii 
had  a  deep  influence  on  Robert  Adam.  The  re- 
straint of  classical  ornament  and  the  unity  of  the 
structure  and  decoration  which  Pompeii  revealed 
and  which  the  French  designers  were  adapting 
make  the  keynote  of  the  architectural  and  decora- 
tive work  of  the  Adam  brothers  in  England. 
There  is  much  in  common  between  the  furniture 
of  the  Louis  XVI.  period  and  the  Adam  designs. 

The  Adam  brothers  designed  not  only  houses 
and  furniture  for  houses,  but  also  all  the  details 
of  interiors.  The  walls  and  ceilings  were  deco- 
rated with  delicate-patterned  moldings  made  of 
stucco  composition,  which  was  afterward  painted 
to  suit  the  furnishing  of  the  room.     Medallions  in 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  95 

relief,  cameo  fashion,  were  used  on  wall  decoration. 
This  style  of  medallion  decoration  was  afterward 
commercialized  by  Wedgwood.  This  modeling 
in  plaster  took  the  place  of  wood-carving  and  sup- 
planted it  in  popularity. 

The  mantels  were  of  marble  with  beautiful 
carved  friezes  of  classical  figures  and  details  of 
vase  or  urn  or  festoons  of  leaves  and  drapery. 
The  mirrors  were  of  delicate  and  beautiful  de- 
signs. The  lighting-fixtures,  the  door-locks,  the 
table  silver,  even  the  carpets,  were  designed  in 
harmony  with  the  rest  of  the  room. 

The  Adam  brothers  did  not  make  furniture. 
They  made  the  designs  and  had  them  carried  out 
under  their  direction  by  the  best  workmen  of  that 
time.  Chippendale  was  a  master  carver  in  their 
factory  at  one  time.  Some  of  the  best  painters 
of  the  day  designed  the  ceiling  and  wall  decora- 
tions and  painted  furniture.  To  Pergolesi,  Cip- 
riani, and  Angelica  Kauffmann  is  due  part  of  the 
fame  of  the  exquisitely  painted  furniture  of  this 
period. 

The  straight  structural  lines  and  the  delicacy 
of  the  Adam  chairs  and  sideboards  greatly  in- 
fluenced Sheraton,  Hepple white,  and  the  later 
cabinet-makers.  The  cabriole  leg  of  Chippendale 
was  replaced  by  the  straight  fluted  leg.  The 
great  and  new  contribution  of  the  Adam  brothers 
was  a  consistency  and  harmony  of  furniture  with 
background,  and  the  subordination  of  decoration 
detail  to  structural  line. 


96  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

Exact  reproductions  of  Adam  furniture  and 
detail  of  interior  woodwork  and  hardware  are 
very  expensive,  but  there  are  very  good  repro- 
ductions of  mantels,  of  door-handles,  of  lighting- 
fixtures,  and  of  furniture  made  in  the  spirit  of 
Adam  decoration  which  are  available  from  the 
firms  who  ordinarily  supply  these  materials. 
They  are  superior  in  design,  particularly  the  hard- 
ware and  lighting  designs,  to  most  of  the  goods 
which  are  on  the  market.  Reproductions  of  the 
beautiful  sideboard  and  chairs  of  Adam  design 
are  sold  at  prices  similar  to  other  good  examples 
of  Georgian  furniture. 

Hepplewhiie 

Hepplewhite  was  strongly  influenced  by  the 
classical  simplicity  of  Louis  XVI.  and  the  beauty 
and  purity  of  design  of  the  Adam  brothers. 
His  own  designs  had  a  distinction  all  their  own. 

His  shield-back  chairs  with  wheat-ear  or  Prince 
of  Wales'  feather  designs  are  perhaps  the  best 
known  of  his  furniture  designs.  The  shield  back, 
while  beautiful  in  proportion  and  exquisite  in 
carving,  is  weak  in  structure.  The  legs  are 
often  fluted  with  dehcate  turnings  and  are  some- 
times square  and  tapering  with  spade  feet.  They 
are  held  by  strong  underbracing. 

He  made  many  sideboards,  and  frequently 
used  the  concave  curves.  Knife  and  spoon  boxes 
and  bottle -cases  were  made  to  stand  on  the 


OLD  ENGLISH  FURNITURE  97 

sideboards.  Hepplewhite  also  made  secretaries, 
many  oval  and  semicircular  tables,  bookcases, 
wash-stands.  He  used  mahogany  and  satinwood, 
and  made  some  painted  furniture.  Very  good 
reproductions  may  be  had  of  the  Hepplewhite 
furniture.  It  is  wise  to  choose  those  examples 
which  are  of  good  structural  lines. 

Hepplewhite  had  a  school  and  published  a  book 
of  designs  which  had  large  circulation  among 
cabinet-makers.  There  were  many  beautiful 
examples  made  from  his  designs  in  America. 

Thomas  Sheraton 

Poor  Thomas  Sheraton,  if  he  could  only  see  his 
name  written  large  in  every  history  of  furniture 
and  read  the  praise  of  the  sureness  and  beauty  of 
his  work!  His  hfe  would  not  seem  so  much  the 
failure  that  his  lack  of  business  ability  and  un- 
fortunate personality  seemed  to  reap. 

Sheraton,  like  Hepplewhite,  came  under  the 
influence  of  the  Adam  brothers'  classic  designs 
and  the  Louis  XVI.  style.  Ornament  was  spar- 
ingly used,  and  he  took  delight  in  fine  inlays  and 
painted  decorations.  He  was  ingenious  in  mak- 
ing drawers  and  secret  sHding-devices  in  bureaus 
and  writing-cabinets.  Many  of  his  designs  were 
carried  out  by  other  cabinet-makers. 

The  furniture  by  which  Sheraton  is  best  known 
is  delicate  in  line  and  exquisite  in  decoration. 
The  backs  of  the  chairs  are  either  of  straight  line 


98  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

or  the  lyre  pattern  which  preceded  his  descent 
toward  Empire  leanings.  He  probably  made  de- 
signs for  more  kinds  of  furniture  than  any  other 
designer;  tables  of  all  kinds,  chairs,  secretaries, 
desks,  sideboards,  knife-boxes,  cabinets,  and  beds. 
The  cabriole  leg  had  gone  out  of  fashion  and  was 
never  used  by  Sheraton  or  Hepplewhite.  Sheraton 
used  many  kinds  of  wood,  especially  mahogany, 
satinwood,  and  tulip-wood  with  inlay  and  paint, 
both  kinds.  The  legs  are  square  and  tapering, 
with  inlays  of  satinwood. 

We  would  prefer  to  forget  the  late  work  of 
Sheraton,  done  under  the  influence  of  the  new 
Empire  style.  The  best  of  his  work  has  delicacy 
and  distinction  of  design  and  exquisite  work- 
manship. 

It  is  often  difficult  to  distinguish  between  Hep- 
plewhite and  Sheraton  furniture,  for  many  of 
their  designs  for  chairs  and  tables  are  very 
similar. 

Both  Hepplewhite  and  Sheraton  were  copied 
by  Colonial  furniture-makers,  and  many  fine 
examples  were  made  in  this  country.  Good 
reproductions  of  Sheraton's  furniture  are  now 
made  and  are  available  at  moderate  prices. 


VIII 

OLD   FRENCH   FURNITURE 

Louis  XIV.,  1643-1715.  Due  de  Bourbon  Regent,  1715- 
1723.  Louis  XV.,  1723-1774.  Louis  XVI.,  1774- 
1793.    Empire,  1798-18 15. 

Woods  used:  Oak,  walnut,  chestnut,  rosewood,  tulip- 
wood,  satinwood,  laburnum,  maple,  holly.  Marquetry: 
tortoise-shell,  brass,  ivory,  and  colored  woods. 

Upholstery  materials:    Tapestry,  velvets,  silks. 

Louis  XIV. 

EVER  since  the  Renaissance  the  artistic  skill 
of  the  French  people  has  dominated  the  West- 
ern world.  By  superior  skill  and  elegance  Paris 
led  the  fashions  of  the  eighteenth  century  just 
as  surely  as  she  leads  the  fashions  to-day.  There 
have  been  no  craftsmen  so  great  as  those  of  the 
eighteenth  century  in  France.  Until  the  time  of 
the  great  Georgian  furniture-makers  in  England 
there  was  no  cabinet-making  in  Europe  that  was 
comparable  in  craftsmanship  to  the  finest  of  the 
French  work.  Indeed,  all  of  Europe  owes  the 
development  of  artistic  crafts  largely  to  France. 
The  Edict  of  Nantes,  issued  by  Louis  XIV.  in 
8 


loo  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

1685,  ordered  all  Protestants  to  leave  France 
under  penalty  of  law.  The  great  bulk  of  French 
Protestants  were,  like  Calvin,  of  the  middle  and 
artisan  class,  and  thousands  of  skilled  workmen 
— cabinet-makers,  designers,  weavers,  and  lace- 
makers — fled  to  the  Netherlands  and  England. 

The  first  great  silk  industry  in  England  was 
founded  at  Spitalfields  by  French  refugees. 
Frederick  of  Prussia,  when  Louis  asked  him  how 
he  could  repay  a  favor,  answered,  "Give  us  more 
civilization,  issue  another  Edict  of  Nantes." 

The  furniture  of  the  Renaissance  in  France  was 
similar  in  structure  to  that  of  the  rest  of  Europe. 
The  structure  lines  were  architectural.  There 
were  few  pieces  of  furniture,  and  these  were  large 
and  formal.  The  decoration  was  of  carving,  and 
the  designs  were  similar  in  detail  to  the  Italian 
Renaissance  ornament.  The  furniture  of  the 
time  of  Louis  XIII.  was  much  like  that  of  the 
Jacobean  period  in  England,  but  more  beauti- 
fully carved  and  more  richly  upholstered.  The 
diagonal  underbracing  was  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  chairs  and  tables  more  frequently  than 
the  paneled  stretchers  of  the  Jacobean.  Tapes- 
tries and  rich  velvet  and  leather  fastened  with 
fringe  and  brass  or  silver  nails  were  used  in  up- 
holstery. 

But  it  was  under  Louis  XIV.,  the  grand  mon- 
arch, that  the  high-water  mark  of  French  skill 
and  taste  was  reached.  His  court  was  the  most 
sumptuous  in  Europe,  and  he  personally  super- 


OLD  FRENCH  FURNITURE  lOi 

vised  every  detail  of  the  etiquette  of  the  court. 
His  patronage  of  the  fine  arts  under  the  guidance 
of  Colbert,  his  minister,  surrounded  him  with 
elegance  and  magnificence.  The  guilds  were  pro- 
vided with  fine  examples  of  workmanship  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  for  inspiration  and  copying. 

High  standards  in  craftsmanship  were  estab- 
lished and  workmen  were  forced  to  meet  them. 
For  instance,  we  read  that  the  first  time  a  work- 
man was  guilty  of  making  poor  cloth  he  was  repri- 
manded, the  second  time  he  was  fined,  and  the 
third  time  he  was  forced  to  stand  in  the  public 
square  wrapped  in  the  piece  of  poor  material  and 
wearing  a  large  sign  explaining  that  he  had  made 
that  cloth.  It  is  said  that  this  punishment  was 
seldom  necessary. 

It  is  well  to  keep  in  mind  the  long  reign  of 
Louis  XIV.  He  was  king  for  seventy-two  years. 
He  came  to  the  throne  when  Charles  I.  was 
King  of  England  and  died  the  year  after  the  death 
of  Queen  Anne  of  England.  Beginning  with  the 
English  period  of  Charles  I.,  Louis  XIV.  was  con- 
temporary with  Cromwell  and  the  Common- 
wealth, Charles  II.,  James  II.,  William  and  Mary, 
and  WiUiam  and  Queen  Anne.  It  can  be  easily 
seen  that  many  changes  in  fashion  and  manners 
would  occur  over  so  long  a  period. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  period  the  furniture 
followed  the  Renaissance  closely  in  line  and  or- 
nament, and  throughout  the  entire  period  the 
splendid  architectural  lines  of  the  Renaissance 


I02  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

dominated  the  structure  and  decoration.  There 
was  always  symmetry  and  restraint  in  the  best 
work  of  the  period.  Louis  XIV.  built  that  most 
beautiful  place  the  palace  at  Versailles.  The 
building,  decorating,  and  furnishing  is  said  to 
have  cost  four  hundred  million  dollars.  This  did 
not  include  the  labor  of  the  thousands  of  convicts 
who  worked  on  it.  It  is  said  that  when  funds 
ran  low  men  were  arrested  on  the  slightest  pre- 
tense and  given  a  sentence  of  months  of  labor  at 
building  roads  or  state  buildings.  Their  work  re- 
mains a  monument  to  one  of  the  greatest  periods 
of  the  world's  history. 

The  artisans  of  France  who  were  designing  and 
making  furniture,  tapestries,  porcelains,  and  mod- 
eling in  metal  and  designing  interiors  were  artists 
and  held  high  position.  Royal  favor  was  given 
for  fine  work  and  was  a  strong  incentive  to  excel 
in  craftsmanship.  This  recognition  of  the  work- 
man-artist is  shown  in  the  fact  that  furniture  and 
decoration  were  signed  by  the  maker. 

Boule  is  one  of  the  best  known  cabinet-makers 
of  the  period.  He  carried  inlay  and  marquetry  to 
the  highest  degree  of  skill  and  beauty.  Many  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  woods  were  used,  but  the  marquetry 
which  is  known  as  Boule  is  of  tortoise-shell,  ebony, 
brass,  and  metal,  and  mountings  in  design  of 
scroll,  geometric  patterns,  and  arabesques.  Ebony 
with  brass  mountings  was  much  used.  The  pieces 
of  furniture  made  by  Boule  are  usually  large  splen- 
did pieces  of  furniture.    The  main  structure,  usu- 


OLD  FRENCH  FURNITURE  103 

ally  of  oak,  was  covered  with  tortoise-shell  veneer, 
which  was  inlaid  with  patterns  in  thin  brass  or 
other  metal,  of  foliage  scrolls  and  arabesques. 
Enamel  was  often  used  in  the  chased  work  on  the 
metal.  Ornaments  cast  in  brass  and  other  metals, 
and  mounted  on  the  furniture,  were  used  to  com- 
plete the  decoration  of  this  marquetry.  These 
craftsmen  were  paid  what  seemed  enormous  sums 
for  their  work.  The  best  examples  of  these  pieces 
are  practically  priceless  now,  even  for  museums. 

The  decorations  of  the  rooms  were  carried  out 
in  the  same  sumptuous  way.  Painted  ceiHngs  and 
panels,  molded  wall,  cornice,  door  and  window 
panel  were  decorated  in  gold  and  painted  detail 
of  ornament.  The  Gobelin  and  Beauvais  factories 
supplied  the  tapestries  for  wall  decoration  and 
upholstery.  Beautiful  and  elaborate  patterns 
were  woven  in  silk  materials  for  upholstery  and 
curtains. 

It  was  a  period  of  great  beauty,  of  great  luxury, 
and  wonderful  craftsmanship,  and  in  its  finest 
expression  there  was  much  that  was  of  heroic 
splendor  and  elegance. 

Regency  and  Louis  XVI.,  Empire 

The  decline  began  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  and  exaggerations  and  ex- 
travagances were  rampant  during  the  Regency  and 
the  period  of  Louis  XV.  The  restraint  of  the 
Renaissance    architectural    structural    principles 


I04  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

gave  way  to  loose  structure  and  a  casual  arrange- 
ment in  ornament.  It  was  full  of  whimsicalities 
and  caprice.  Furniture  lost  symmetry,  and  all 
feeling  for  structural  lines  disappeared  in  the 
elaborate  curves  and  intricate  detail  of  the  rococo 
decoration.  Ribbons,  garlands,  baskets,  rocks,  the 
shell  design,  and  Chinese  were  spread  about  in 
fantastic  profusion  in  ornament,  with  little  rela- 
tion to  the  form  or  surface  decoration. 

There  was  great  interest  in  things  Chinese  {Chi- 
noiserie).  A  messenger  had  been  sent  by  Louis 
XV.  to  the  Emperor  of  China,  and  he  returned  to 
France,  bringing  a  ship-load  of  treasures  as  gifts 
from  the  Chinese  Emperor  to  Louis  XV.  Pagodas 
and  dragons  appeared  in  the  textiles,  papers,  and 
ornaments  of  the  time.  The  beautiful  Chinese  lacq- 
uers led  to  experiments  with  varnishes  in  imitation 
of  the  lacquer  varnish.  Robert  Martin  was  very 
successful  in  making  varnishes  which  became  the 
fashion,  and  in  colors  of  red,  brown,  gold,  and 
speckled  bronze  were  much  used  in  decoration  on 
furniture  of  this  period.  He  was  given  the  title 
of  Varnish-maker  to  the  King,  and  a  varnish  is 
still  made  which  bears  his  name  (Vernis  Martin). 

Furniture  was  very  much  decorated  with  metal 
ornaments.  Wildly  extravagant  designs  in  the 
rococo  spirit  were  carried  out  in  candelabra, 
clocks,  chandeliers,  and  vases  so  much  used  in  this 
period.  It  became  the  fashion  to  receive  guests 
while  abed,  and  bedrooms  were  as  profusely  deco- 
rated as  salons. 


FRENCH   FURNITURE 


OLD  FRENCH  FURNITURE  105 

The  reaction  against  the  buffooner}'  of  ornament 
came  before  the  close  of  Louis  XV. 's  reign,  al- 
though it  is  always  associated  with  the  name  of 
Marie  Antoinette  and  the  Louis  XVI.  period. 
There  was  a  complete  reversion  to  the  restraint  of 
pure  classic  style.  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii  had 
been  excavated,  and  the  architecture  and  decora- 
tion of  the  houses  had  an  immediate  influence  on 
the  design  of  interiors  and  furniture. 

Straight  lines  and  simple  classic  ornament  took 
the  place  of  extravagant  curves  and  ornament. 
The  elaborate  carving  and  gilding  were  restrained 
to  rosettes  and  fluted  columns.  The  legs  of  chairs, 
sofas,  and  tables  were  straight  and  tapering.  They 
were  square  or  round  and  frequently  fluted,  and 
with  rosette  ornament  at  head  where  they  joined 
the  frame  of  the  seat.  The  florid  rococo  designs 
in  textiles  were  replaced  by  stripes  and  formal 
repetitions  of  flowers  or  classic  medallion  arrange- 
ments. 

Cabinet  work  was  exquisite  in  beauty  and 
technique.  Reisener  was  one  of  the  best  cab- 
inet-makers of  this  period,  and  he  made  many 
exquisitely  beautiful  pieces  for  Marie  Antoinette. 
The  elaborate  decoration  on  wall  and  ceiling  was 
replaced  by  delicate  framework  of  paneling  with 
fine  carving,  and  painted  in  subdued  colors.  The 
gilding  was  restrained  and  subordinated.  In  all 
of  the  artistic  crafts  the  period  of  Louis  XVI.  was 
one  of  simple  elegance  and  classic  restraint. 

But  the  garish  reproductions  of  the  French 


io6  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

furniture  that  are  seen  in  shops  and  in  the  houses 
of  the  indiscriminating  rich  quite  naturally  preju- 
dice many  people  against  all  French  furniture. 
They  sweep  it  all  into  one  category  as  belonging 
to  what  one  woman  aptly  called  "Louis  Four- 
teenth Street  furniture." 

It  is  true  that  in  the  furniture  of  the  Regency 
and  Louis  XV.  period  there  are  many  atrocious 
structvu*al  freaks.  It  is  also  true  that  really 
good  reproductions  of  the  best  of  the  French 
furniture  are  very  expensive.  They  require  very 
skilled  workmen,  and,  what  with  the  great  ex- 
pense involved  in  making  marquetry,  gilding, 
and  metal  casting,  are  quite  beyond  the  limits 
of  even  a  very  good  income.  As  for  the  repro- 
ductions of  the  very  beautiful  pieces,  the  copy 
of  a  famous  cabinet  with  mounts,  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  King  of  England,  took  years  to 
complete,  and  the  labor  and  materials  cost 
$15,000.  A  copy  of  the  vSt.  Cloud  bureau  in  the 
Louvre  cost  $10,000.  The  original  pieces  are  al- 
most priceless. 

There  are  very  good  reproductions  of  the  sim- 
pler painted  types  of  French  furniture.  There  are 
chairs,  tables,  and  beds,  beautiful  in  proportion 
and  line,  made  in  the  style  of  Louis  XVI.,  with 
cane  and  enameled  or  painted  wood.  There  are 
arm-chairs,  comfortable  and  beautiful  in  line, 
which  are  reproductions  of  Louis  XV.  models. 
All  of  these  can  be  charmingly  used  in  rooms  of 
paneled  walls  with  woodwork  enameled  or  painted 


OLD  FRENCH  FURNITURE  107 

in  gray  or  light  colors,  with  appropriate  French- 
period  stuffs  and  rugs  either  plain  or  in  French 
design.  Mantel,  mirrors,  and  lighting  -  fixtures 
must  be  chosen  in  designs  of  festive  or  classic 
detail  suitable  for  use  with  this  furniture.  It  is 
seldom  possible  to  combine  its  use  with  other 
types  or  to  use  it  in  rooms  of  plain  walls  and 
ceiling.  French  furniture  requires  a  completel}^ 
harmonious  background.  It  is  not  democratic. 
It  requires  surroundings  of  its  own  distinction  and 
elegance,  beyond  the  workaday  suitability  and  the 
purse  of  the  average  home-maker. 

During  the  Reign  of  Terror,  following  the  be- 
heading of  the  King  in  1 793,  the  ruthlessness  of  the 
mob  was  directed  toward  anything  that  repre- 
sented aristocracy,  and  it  is  a  wonder  that  any  of 
the  beautiful  furniture  was  left  to  tell  the  tale. 
The  Louvre  in  Paris  and  the  Wallace  Collection  in 
London  contain  fine  examples  of  French  furniture. 

After  so  great  an  upheaval  as  the  Revolution 
the  arts,  which  always  express  the  ideals  of  a 
people,  swung  over  to  represent  the  absorbing 
aspirations  of  a  great  modem  republic,  one  that 
should  rival  Rome  and  Greece.  Napoleon  with 
the  laurel  wreath  of  Caesar  must  have  the  back- 
ground of  an  empire!  So  the  empire  brought 
great  sweeps  of  curves  with  decorations  of  metal 
caryatids,  victorious  wreaths,  ram's  heads,  and 
figures  emblematic  of  freedom,  cast  in  metal 
and  mounted  on  new  and  massive  mahogany  and 
rosewood  furniture. 


loS  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

The  furniture  of  Egypt,  Greece,  and  Pompeii 
was  followed  in  the  lines  of  the  Empire  furniture. 
In  the  famous  portrait  of  Madame  Recamier  by 
David,  which  is  in  the  Louvre,  there  is  a  sofa 
which  represents  the  best  of  the  Empire  style  in 
its  sweep  of  line  and  severity  of  curve.  The 
massiveness  and  the  conspicuousness  of  decora- 
tion in  the  copies  of  this  type  of  furniture  have 
made  it  too  clumsy  in  line  and  too  ostentatious 
for  use  in  the  small  rooms  of  an  average  house. 

Its  influence  in  England  and  in  America  was 
widely  felt,  and  the  simpler  adaptations  of  the 
Colonial  Empire  style  are  frequently  good  in  line 
and  proportion.  Reproductions  are  made  of 
Empire  furniture  which  are  suitable  for  living- 
room,  drawing-room,  library,  or  bedroom. 


IX 

AMERICAN   COLONIAL   FURNITURE 

Woods  used:  Oak,  chestnut,  maple,  beech,  elm,  hickory, 
apple-wood,  pear-wood,  cherry,  mahogany. 

THOSE  who  live  in  the  East  or  South,  or  near 
a  large  city,  and  who  have  a  sentiment  and 
appreciation  of  old  furniture  know  that  it  takes 
many  hours  of  wandering  through  second-hand 
stores  and  antique  shops  to  find  just  the  right 
piece  to  go  in  a  room  in  a  particular  house.  Yet 
the  wandering  through  shops  is  a  wonderful 
teacher  to  the  observing.  It  must  supplement  the 
book-reading  of  the  amateur,  and  in  no  other  way 
is  it  possible  to  acquire  a  good  judgment  of  values. 

How  often  this  is  gained  through  mistakes  in 
supposed  bargains!  And  what  pleasure  and  ad- 
venture the  quest  for  old  furniture  brings!  It  is 
not  difficult  to  understand  how  an  interest  in  old 
furniture  becomes  almost  an  obsession,  and  there 
are  many  collectors  whose  attics,  cellars,  and  bams 
are  stored  with  good  pieces  to  be  done  over  or 
used  in  some  future  golden  age. 

Colonial  history  explains  the  different  types  of 


no  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

old  furniture  generally  to  be  found  in  New  Eng- 
land, the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and  in  the  South. 
There  are  very  few  of  the  heavy  Dutch  pieces  with 
bulbous  or  bandy  legs  to  be  found  in  the  South, 
and  Uttle  of  the  pure  Empire,  so  common  in  Lou- 
isiana, to  be  found  in  New  England. 
^  Very  early  New  England  furniture  was  of  the 
simplest  Jacobean  type.  The  gate-leg  table  was 
commonly  used,  and  was  made  in  oak,  maple,  and 
later  cherry  and  mahogany.  There  are  very  few 
early  chairs  of  the  wainscot  type,  but  many  beau- 
tiful examples  and  variations  of  the  banister-back 
and  slat-back  chairs  were  made  in  oak  and  maple 
and  walnut  with  rush-bottom  seats.  Very  little 
of  the  elaborate  or  finer  furniture  came  in  the  early 
days.  Lacquers  and  marquetry  were  not  suitable 
for  the  struggling  colonists  of  a  new  country. 

The  designs  of  the  English  cabinet-makers  were 
simplified.  The  Queen  Anne  walnut  chair,  with  the 
delicate  curve  of  slat  and  uprights  of  the  back  to 
fit  the  line  of  the  body,  and  the  broad  upholstered 
seat  in  the  framework  of  the  base  and  legs,  be- 
comes the  Colonial  straight  slat-back  chair  with 
rush-bottom  seat,  known  as  fiddle  back.  The 
Windsor  chairs  took  on  new  and  varying  propor- 
tions, and  the  comb-back  Windsor  arm-chair  is 
usually  as  comfortable  as  it  is  beautiful  in  line. 

The  rectangular  braced  frame  drop-leaf  table 
with  turned  legs  made  of  oak,  walnut,  or  maple  is 
an  old  table  not  uncommonly  found  in  good  old 
furniture  shops.    The  Jacobean  style  of  furniture 


SOME    SAMPLES    OF   COLONIAL    FURNITrRE 


AMERICAN  COLONIAL  FURNITURE    in 

is  found  in  the  South  as  well  as  New  England,  and 
there  have  been  many  good  examples  of  old 
Stuart  chairs  picked  up  in  Virginia  and  Maryland. 
In  some  parts  of  the  country  special  designs  of 
furniture  were  made  only  in  one  community;  for 
instance,  the  use  of  a  triangular  piece  hinged  in 
the  braced  frame  of  a  small  table  to  hold  up  the 
leg  was  made  mostly  in  Connecticut,  and  is  called 
a  butterfly-table.  The  block  front  chest  of  drawers 
usually  comes  from  Rhode  Island. 

But  the  great  bulk  of  old  American  furniture 
is  of  the  Georgian  style.  It  is  found  in  all  parts 
of  the  United  States  which  were  settled  before 
1830.  The  book  of  designs  pubUshed  by  Chip- 
pendale, Sheraton,  and  Hepple white  were  used 
by  the  American  cabinet-makers.  There  were 
very  few  original  pieces  from  the  great  designers 
themselves  which  came  to  the  Colonies,  but  much 
good  furniture  was  imported  and  much  good 
cabinet  work  done  from  the  drawings,  in  the  fur- 
niture books,  and  in  the  master's  manner.  Chip- 
pendale, Adam,  Sheraton,  and  Hepple  white  were 
all  copied  with  more  or  less  fidelity,  and  there  was 
much  beautiful  mahogany,  cherry,  apple,  and 
pear  wood,  and  rosewood  furniture  made. 

It  is  possible  to  find  good  examples  of  all  the 
pieces  for  furnishing  a  house.  Fine  walnut  high- 
boys and  low-boys,  and  mahogany  ones,  too; 
every  kind  of  chest  of  drawers,  from  a  plain 
front  to  a  double  serpentine,  is  to  be  had  at  a 
fair  price,  plus  patient  waiting  and  searching. 


112  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

And  there  are  tables  of  all  kinds,  sizes,  and 
prices.  The  Pembroke  type  of  table  (both  Hep- 
pie  white  and  Sheraton  made  designs  of  this 
style),  which  stands  against  the  w-all  with  the  leaf 
up  or  folded,  can  be  frequently  found  in  good 
condition  and  quite  inexpensive.  In  England 
it  was  used  as  a  card-table  or  a  breakfast-table ; 
in  the  Colonies  it  was  a  best  table,  and  so  in 
many  cases  has  had  excellent  care.  The  pie- 
crust tables  with  pedestal  and  three  Dutch  curv- 
ing legs  were  very  popular  for  tea-tables.  The 
Empire  mahogany  table  on  a  large  square  or 
round  pedestal  with  curved  legs  at  base  is  not 
difficult  to  find,  and  is  suitable  for  a  living-room 
or  dining-room. 

Sofas  and  settees  of  Sheraton  and  Hepple- 
white  design  are  very  beautiful,  but  are  rather 
rare.  It  is  not  difficult,  however,  to  find  good 
examples  of  Empire  sofas,  but  unless  in  very 
good  condition  they  are  expensive  to  do  over 
and  rcupholstcr.  In  some  parts  of  the  country 
there  are  attractive  porch  settees,  with  open  slat 
backs,  which  if  scraped  and  oiled  and  waxed  or 
painted  and  decorated  make  an  interesting  piece 
of  furniture  for  living-room. 

There  are  innumerable  chairs,  from  the  simple 
slat  back,  or  the  spindle  Windsor,  to  the  very 
beautifully  carved  Chippendale  or  Adam  chair. 
There  are  many  sizes  and  shapes  in  the  grand- 
father's chair;  the  earlier  ones  have  cabriole  legs 
and  strong  undcrbracing,  but  these  are  difficult 


AMERICAN  COLONIAL  FURNITURE     113 

to  find.  A  provincial  European  who  had  heard 
of  our  rocking-chairs  fancied  that  the  American 
woman,  sitting  in  a  rocking-chair,  would  be  per- 
petually moving  back  and  forth.  Rocking-chairs 
are  a  purely  American  invention.  Some  people 
dislike  them  as  much  as  others  desire  them.  The 
older  chairs  had  very  short  rockers.  Comfortable 
slat-back  rockers,  very  suitable  for  bedrooms,  were 
made  of  hickory  and  maple,  with  nish-bottom 
seats. 

Many  woods  were  used  by  the  Colonial  furni- 
ture-makers. Oak  and  chestnut  were  used  in  the 
early  furniture;  walnut  was  used  in  the  furniture 
which  shows  the  Dutch  influence.  Later  maple, 
cherry,  apple,  and  pear  wood,  and  mahogany  were 
used.  Unfortunately,  stains  have  been  used  on 
many  old  pieces,  and  one  can  only  be  sure  of  the 
wood  by  its  grain  and  texture.  Old  maple  has  a 
deep  mellow  gold  color,  and  is  particularly  lovely 
in  light  rooms.  Cherry  has  a  lovely  rich  color, 
and  is  neither  so  fine  in  texture  nor  beautiful  in 
grain  as  mahogany.     It  is  also  heavier. 

Having  old  furniture  done  over  means  either 
of  two  things.  A  cheap  shiny  finish  made  of  shel- 
lac and  turpentine,  followed  by  a  little  piunicing 
and  oiling,  is  a  poor  quality  of  work  done  by 
many  antique  shops  and  furniture-repairers.  The 
right  kind  of  doing  over,  where  the  careful  cabinet- 
maker goes  over  every  part  of  the  piece  of  furni- 
ture, replacing  broken  parts  with  old  seasoned 
wood,  planing  down  warped  places,  carefully  re- 


114  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

laying  veneers,  sandpapering  and  pumicing  down 
with  oil  and  pumice-stone,  and  waxing  and  rub- 
bing down  the  surface  until  a  smooth  polish  is 
acquired,  is  a  slow  process.  It  requires  skill,  and 
one  can  seldom  have  it  done  cheaply. 

It  is  well  to  find  a  good  workman — preferably 
one  of  the  older  school — and  always  to  make  sure 
of  the  approximate  price  for  doing  over  an  old  piece 
which  is  in  poor  condition  before  buying  it,  since 
the  cost  of  doing  over  a  piece  of  furniture  in  poor 
condition  is  usually  much  more  than  the  piece 
costs,  or  frequently  more  than  it  is  worth.  There 
are  cabinet-makers  and  repairers  who  can  work 
incredible  miracles  with  a  fine  piece  of  old  furni- 
ture, but  it  is  well  to  be  sure  of  the  quality  and 
price  before  leaving  the  work  to  be  done.  Often 
it  is  more  expensive  to  have  a  mediocre  piece  of 
old  furniture  done  over  than  it  is  to  buy  a  better- 
made  reproduction.  It  is  always  expensive  to  have 
veneers  recut  and  laid.     It  takes  time  and  skill. 

The  expensive  workman  is  not  always  the  best, 
but  it  is  not  difficult  to  recognize  the  good  crafts- 
man in  any  line  of  work.  It  is  quite  easy  for  the 
amateur  to  do  much  of  the  doing  over  himself  if 
he  is  willing  to  give  a  few  hours  a  week  puttering 
away  at  it.  First,  if  it  is  necessary,  the  piece  may 
be  washed  carefully  in  tepid  soapy  water  and 
quickly  rubbed  dry.  If  the  varnish  or  paint  is 
several  coats  deep,  begin  with  sandpaper  and 
clear  it  down  almost  to  the  wood  surface.  Then 
with  linseed-oil  and  pumicc-stonc  rub  the  wood 


AMERICAN  COLONIAL  FURNITURE    115 

clear  of  varnish  or  paint.  Dust  carefully,  apply 
wax  and  oil  and  rub,  continuing  until  there  is  a 
warm,  deep  glow  of  polish.  This  process  of  fin- 
ishing takes  much  rubbing,  and  a  very  good  sur- 
face is  made  with  one  coat  of  good  varnish  evenly 
applied,  and  pumiced  and  oiled  after  drying  to  a 
dull  finish. 

Oak,  chestnut,  or  maple  should  never  be  var- 
nished— only  waxed,  oiled  and  rubbed.  Oak  wiU 
acquire  a  beautiful  depth  of  polish  and  color  with 
rubbing  and  time,  that  cannot  be  duplicated  by 
any  quick  process. 

In  every  city  and  village  there  are  competent 
men  and  boys  who  can  put  cane  in  chair-backs 
and  seats,  and,  as  it  is  not  difficult  and  does 
not  take  much  time,  any  member  of  the  family 
can  easily  learn  to  cane  furniture.  It  is  more 
difficult  to  have  new  rush-bottom  seats  done  in 
the  old,  firm,  smooth  way  with  rushes.  Papier- 
mache  or  cord  is  often  used,  and  is  a  poor  sub- 
stitute. But  a  second-hand  dealer  or  a  furniture- 
maker  usually  knows  where  rushing  can  be  done. 
It  is  a  process  which  requires  skill  and  strength 
to  get  good  results.  Neither  rushing  nor  caning 
is  expensive,  considering  the  amoimt  of  work  in- 
volved. The  old  stenciled  chairs  and  mirrors  can 
be  restenciled  with  paint,  and  gold  or  bronze  sten- 
cil, varnishing  and  pumicing  down  afterward. 

.There  is  so  much  fun  and  adventure  in  buying 
old  furniture,  and  then  one  learns  so  much,  that 
it  is  not  fair  to  discourage  the  amateur  from  what 
9 


ii6  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

will  give  so  fine  a  pleasure,  and  so  personal  a  back- 
ground and  intimate  feeling  to  a  house,  by  saying 
what  is,  however,  equally  true,  and  what  is  sure 
to  happen.  First,  that  it  takes  "forever"  to 
find  just  the  right  pieces  to  furnish  a  house 
throughout.  Second,  that  the  amateur  is  so 
often  cheated  that  the  process  of  learning  seems 
to  progress  by  sad  and  expensive  mistakes.  And, 
then,  there  is  the  danger  of  buying  what  is  un- 
necessary in  a  moment  of  enthusiasm.  It  is 
always  true,  however,  that  old  pieces,  carefully 
selected,  can  be  sold  at  a  profit  at  any  time.  It 
is  only  fair  to  present  this  other  side,  for  the 
amateur  once  started  cannot  be  discouraged,  and 
will  continue  with  enthusiasm  the  fascinating 
quest  for  old  furniture. 


X 

FURNITURE   OF  TO-DAY 

AFTER  these  flying  trips  into  the  history  and 
.  periods  of  furniture  let  us  come  down  to 
earth,  in  whatever  part  of  the  country  home  may 
be,  and  talk  about  the  furniture  that  can  be  bought 
there.  Whether  it  be  large  city,  small  city,  or 
rural  community,  the  questions  will  be  the  same — 
what  chairs  and  tables  are  available  and  suitable, 
where  can  one  buy  them,  and  what  will  they  cost  ? 
The  average  home-maker  usually  goes  to  one 
of  three  places  to  buy  her  furniture.  She  goes  to 
a  regular  furniture  store,  the  furniture  department 
in  a  department  store,  or  the  second-hand  shops. 
Or  perhaps  she  buys  directly  from  one  of  the 
manufacturing  firms  who  sell  through  catalogue 
and  mail  order. 

In  any  case  she  will  hope  to  buy  furniture 
that  is  strong,  good  -  looking,  and  comfort- 
able. If  a  man  in  the  family  can  join  in  the 
shopping  the  furniture  that  he  selects  is  pretty 
sure  to  be  strong  and  comfortable.  If  the  buyer 
would  only  sit  in  a  chair  and  see  that  it  was 
comfortable  before  buying  it,  there  would  be 
fewer  unhappy  moments  for  family  and  guests. 


ii8  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

So  many  people  buy  ugly  and  uncomfortable 
furniture  because  they  are  bewildered  by  the 
mixture  of  good  and  bad  furniture  and  the 
varieties  of  each  that  are  in  the  average  furniture 
store  and  department  store.  The  buyer  wanders 
through  expanses  of  golden  oak,  bird's-eye  maple, 
or  Circassian  walnut  in  parlor,  bedroom,  or  dining- 
room  sets.  A  few  good  wicker  chairs,  a  few  re- 
productions, and  some  simple  painted  furniture 
are  usually  all  that  is  desirable  in  the  whole  stock. 
With  all  this  bewildering  mixture  the  buyer  will 
find  it  very  difficult  to  select  just  the  right  chair 
or  table. 

But  if  she  keeps  in  mind  only  a  few  important 
requirements — first,  that  the  chair  or  table  have 
good  simple  lines  and  proportions;  second,  that 
it  is  similar  in  type  to  what  she  already  has; 
third,  that  it  is  comfortable;  fourth,  that  it  can 
be  easily  cleaned  and  kept  in  good  condition — if 
she  keeps  these  four  things  in  mind  and  puts 
every  piece  to  these  tests,  the  sheep  and  the  goats 
will  soon  separate,  and  the  difficulties  disappear. 

Furniture  Store.     Department  Store 

Now  let  us  see  what  the  furniture  shops  carry. 
The  department  stores  carry  about  the  same  stock 
as  the  furniture  stores,  only  they  usually  have 
more  sales  of  odds  and  ends  and  special  assign- 
ment than  the  furniture  stores.  The  home- 
maker  need  not  be  discouraged  at  the  high  prices 


EXAMPLES  OF  SIMPLE  FURNITURE  WHICH  MAY  BE  BOUGHT 
IN  STAIN,  ENAMEL,  OR  UNFINISHED 


FURNITURE  OF  TO-DAY  119 

of  some  of  the  furniture,  for  there  are  chairs  that 
cost  $2  that  are  more  beautiful  and  suitable  for 
any  room  than  some  other  chairs  which  cost 
$100.  Fortunately,  the  price  of  a  chair  is  not 
always  a  measure  of  its  worth.  In  most  furniture 
stores  there  is  some  very  inexpensive  and  attrac- 
tive furniture. 

In  many  shops,  particularly  in  the  smaller 
cities,  there  are  rows  and  rows  of  pieces  of 
so-called  golden  oak.  This  furniture  is  usually 
ugly,  clumsy  in  design,  and  over  -  decorated. 
The  many  coats  of  varnish  have  given  it  an 
objectionable  color  and  surface  polish.  The 
only  way  to  make  this  furniture  attractive  is  to 
remove  all  the  varnish  and  then  stain  and  wax 
and  rub  it  until  it  has  the  legitimate  finish  of  oak. 
Or  it  can  be  painted  or  enameled  in  color  to  go 
with  the  color  scheme  of  the  room.  There  are 
usually  some  pieces  that  are  good  in  line  and  can 
be  used  in  the  average  house.  This  furniture  is 
usually  inexpensive.  Chairs  cost  from  $1.50  to 
$15,  tables  from  $5  to  $40.  The  cost  of  refinish- 
ing  must  be  calculated  according  to  the  money 
spent  for  materials  and  the  time  of  the  refinisher. 

Another  very  common  and  inexpensive  type 
of  furniture  is  the  Mission  or  Craftsman  furni- 
ture. Some  of  it  is  very  good  in  line  and  con- 
struction; frequently,  however,  for  all  its  appear- 
ance of  strength,  much  of  it  is  clumsy  and  poorly 
made.  It  goes  very  well  in  large  rooms  of  rough 
plaster,  or  wood  wall  and  brick  or  concrete  fire- 


I20  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

place.  It  cannot  be  used  so  well  in  small  rooms; 
neither  does  it  go  well  with  other  types  of  furni- 
ture. A  living-room  or  a  whole  floor,  a  bungalow 
or  country  house  furnished  throughout  with  this 
furniture  may  be  very  restful  and  attractive,  but 
its  possibilities  are  more  limited  than  some  of  the 
less-heavy  types  of  chairs  and  tables.  In  the 
average  apartment  it  is  quite  out  of  place. 
Chairs  in  the  Mission  style  cost  from  $3  to  $35 
and  tables  from  $10  to  $50. 

Perhaps  no  furniture  carried  by  the  average 
furniture  store  and  department  store  offers  so 
many  possibilities  as  the  simple  painted  furniture. 
There  are  many  pieces  of  good  lines,  in  inex- 
pensive woods,  which  can  be  painted  a  color  to 
suit  the  color  scheme  of  the  general  furnishing  of 
the  room.  In  a  city  apartment  where  sunshine  is 
at  a  premium,  a  room  with  painted  woodwork 
and  furniture  can  be  very  gay  and  cheerful. 
This  furniture  is  generally  inexpensive.  The 
stores  frequently  carry  sample  stock  in  a  dead- 
white  enamel,  but  the  same  pieces  can  be  ordered 
painted  in  any  color  of  sample.  Usually  there  is 
a  small  extra  charge  for  matched  color.  Chairs 
may  be  had  from  $2  to  $20  and  tables  from  $4 
to  $25.  For  those  who  are  ambitious  to  paint 
or  stain  furniture  directions  are  given  in  the 
Handy  Man's  Chapter. 

Wicker  or  willow  furniture  is  inexpensive, 
durable,  and  comes  in  many  good  designs  of 
chairs  and  tables.     Nearly  all  the  large  furniture 


FURNITURE  OF  TO-DAY  121 

stores  and  department  stores  carry  a  large  stock 
in  the  spring  and  summer,  for  there  is  a  demand  for 
it  for  summer-houses  and  porches.  There  are  so 
many  varieties  that  the  buyer  should  not  be 
discouraged  if  she  does  not  find  what  she  likes 
at  first,  but  should  go  to  every  place  that  keeps 
any  wicker  or  willow  before  making  a  decision. 
In  the  large  cities  there  are  shops  which  special- 
ize in  this  furniture  and  carry  very  attractive 
pieces. 

This  furniture  can  be  stained  any  color.  The 
arm-chairs  are  suitable  for  almost  any  room  in 
an  informal  house.  They  are  particularly  attrac- 
tive with  cushions  of  gay  chintz  or  in  soft  dull 
colors,  according  to  the  color  scheme  of  the  rest 
of  the  room.  It  is  possible  to  btiy  this  furniture 
imstained  at  a  httle  less  cost  than  when  stained. 
Unstained,  the  chairs  cost  from  $2  to  $15 ;  stained, 
they  cost  from  $4  to  $15.  Tables  cost  from  $3 
to  $20.  Directions  for  staining  wicker  furniture 
and  for  removing  stain  will  be  found  in  the 
Handy  Man's  Chapter.  A  few  shops  carry  the 
Chinese  and  Ceylon  cane  chairs,  which  are  fre- 
quently very  beautiful  in  workmanship  and  are 
suitable  in  a  living-room  or  porch.  They  are 
usually  more  expensive  than  the  wicker  chairs 
and  cost  from  $30  to  $75. 

The  Austrian  furniture  made  of  bent  wood  is 
very  strong  and  sometimes  quite  attractive.  It 
is  expensive,  and  its  durability  recommends  it 
for  hotels,  restaurants,  and  for  clubs  and  rooms 


122  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

of  public  use,  but  it  is  expensive  for  the  ordinary 
home. 

The  better  class  of  furniture  store  and  depart- 
ment store  now  carries  a  wide  stock  of  good 
reproductions,  and  any  dealer  can  obtain  very 
good  examples  for  the  customer  who  knows  what 
she  wants.  A  customer  can  always  ask  to  see  the 
catalogues  of  the  manufacturers  from  which  the 
store  buys,  and  it  is  often  profitable  to  study  these. 

The  salesmen  do  not  always  understand  the 
fact,  but  it  is  frequently  possible  to  get  a  chair 
or  table  in  several  different  woods.  From  the 
mahogany  sample  in  the  store  the  customer  can 
order  a  chair  in  oak  or  walnut,  and  any  good  firm 
is  glad  to  accept  such  orders.  If  the  salesman 
does  not  think  it  can  be  done  it  is  well  to  ask  for 
the  department  manager. 

For  those  who  have  money  enough  it  is  always 
possible  to  buy  good  reproductions.  Indeed, 
there  is  very  little  in  the  way  of  furniture  that 
money  cannot  buy.  Good  copies  of  the  best 
furniture  are  expensive — so  were  ths  originals. 
Chippendale  received  three  to  four  hundred 
dollars  for  chairs;  reproductions  of  these  would 
cost  at  least  the  same  amount.  Good  repro- 
ductions cost  according  to  the  skill  involved  in 
making  them,  excepting  only  the  fashions,  which 
always  create  false  values. 

There  are  not  many  good  reproductions  of 
the  early  English  furniture.  It  is  heavy  for  the 
average  house  and  does  not  have  a  \\ide  sale.     Of 


FURNITURE  OF  TO-DAY  123 

the  Jacobean  furniture  many  good  reproductions 
are  on  the  market.  The  gate-leg  table,  so  useful 
and  attractive  for  Hving-room,  library,  or  dining- 
room,  is  made  in  diill-finished  oak,  walnut,  and 
mahogany  at  prices  varying  from  $12  to  $75. 
The  Stuart  chairs  with  turned  legs  and  uprights 
and  caned  seat  and  back  panel  are  strong,  and 
are  very  attractive  chairs  for  dining-room,  or 
the  straight  chairs  of  living-room  and  hall.  They 
are  too  formal  for  the  average  bedroom.  They 
are  made  in  arm  and  side  chairs,  and  prices  range 
from  $13  to  $50. 

Good  reproductions  of  Queen  Anne  chairs  and 
tables  are  also  suitable  in  any  part  of  the  house. 
They  cost  from  $12  to  $50.  Good  copies  of 
Chippendale  arm-chairs  cost  from  $18  to  $100, 
of  side-chairs  from  $12  to  $50.  A  reproduc- 
tion of  an  Adam  chair  will  cost  from  $20  to 
$50,  an  Adam  sideboard  from  $50  to  $250. 
Beautiful  copies  of  Hepplewhite  and  Sheraton 
chairs  will  cost  from  $25  to  $75,  a  side-table  from 
$18  to  $60.  Reproductions  of  any  of  these  Geor- 
gian chairs  and  tables  are  particularly  suitable 
for  our  smaller  houses  and  apartments  of  to-day. 

Good  copies  of  French  furniture  are  expensive, 

and  they  require  a  more  elegant  and  luxurious 

background.     A  good  copy   of  a   simple   Louis 

XIV.  cane  chair  will  cost  from  $65  to  $150,  and 

the  more  elaborate  carved  and  gilded  or  painted 

furniture  is  very  expensive.     It  must  be  very  well 

done,  otherwise  it  is  Hkely  to  be  tawdry. 
9 


124  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

There  is  all  the  difference  in  the  world  between  a 
good  reproduction  and  a  poor  imitation.  There 
are  many  ugly  and  poorly  made  pieces  of  furniture 
masquerading  under  period  names.  The  buyer 
should  beware  of  these,  and  insist  on  good  con- 
struction and  the  characteristics  and  finish  of  the 
old  furniture.  Copies  of  old  furniture  are  only 
desirable  when  they  have  good  workmanship, 
beauty  of  design,  and  good  wood.  Psuedo 
reproductions  are  as  undesirable  and  tawdry  as 
cheap  imitation  jewelry. 

Mail-order  Houses 

Then  there  are  the  furniture-manufacturers 
who  sell  direct  to  the  customer.  There  is  a  firm 
in  Boston,  and  there  are  probably  others  else- 
where, which  makes  a  specialty  of  inexpensive 
furniture  which  is  sound  in  construction  and  good 
in  line.  They  sell  chairs,  tables,  and  many  other 
pieces  of  furniture,  either  unfinished,  stained,  or 
enameled  in  color  to  suit  the  purchaser.  The 
enameled  furniture  costs  ten  per  cent,  more,  the 
unfinished  furniture  ten  per  cent,  less  than  where 
a  stain  is  ordered. 

The  firm  pays  for  crating  and  delivery  to  rail- 
road station,  the  purchaser  pays  freight  and  de- 
livery at  his  end  of  the  Hne.  The  cost  of  the 
freight  is  very  little,  especially  if  several  pieces 
are  crated  together.  It  is  surprising  how  cheap 
and  how  good-looking  much  of  this  furniture  is. 


PLEASING   EXAMPLES   OF    MODERN   MISSION    FURNITURE 
AND    REPRODUCTION   OF   ANTIQUE 


FURNITURE  OF  TO-DAY  125 

A  comfortable  Windsor  arm-chair  unstained  cost 
$2.  This  included  freight  and  delivery  charges 
from  Boston  to  New  York.  They  sell  a  good 
six-foot  extension  dining-table  for  $9  and  a  drop- 
leaf  gate-leg  table  in  oak  for  $15.  They  carry  a 
large  stock  of  furniture  at  comparatively  low 
prices,  and  will  send  illustrated  catalogue  on  ap- 
plication. For  those  who  would  like  to  try  stain- 
ing or  painting  this  furniture  directions  are  given 
in  Handy  Man's  Chapter. 


Second-hand  Shops 

It  always  seems  wise  to  buy  a  few  good  pieces, 
and  to  patch  out  with  temporary  ones  rather  than 
to  compromise  in  buying  all  that  is  necessary 
at  once  and  have  to  live  forever  with  an  apologetic 
background.  If  a  general  scheme  of  color  and 
furnishing  is  kept  in  mind,  and  good  pieces  added 
gradually,  one  or  two  a  year,  it  is  surprising  how 
much  pleasure  there  is  in  anticipation  and  how 
short  the  interval  seems  before  the  scheme  is 
realized  and  the  house  furnished. 

This  is  where  the  second-hand  shop  offers  op- 
portunities. People  get  astounding  bargains  at 
auctions  and  in  second-hand  shops.  One  should 
be  very  careful,  of  course,  to  have  any  of  this 
furniture  well  fumigated.  There  are  chairs  and 
tables  much  the  worse  for  wear  that  with  a  little 
labor — removing  varnish,  and  waxing,  rubbing, 


126  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

or  with  enameling  in  black  or  white  or  color — will 
be  very  attractive. 

It  is  always  possible  to  buy  chairs  from  twenty- 
five  cents  up  into  dollars,  and  very  frequently 
pieces  that  have  been  overlooked  by  the  antique 
dealer  find  their  way  into  these  shops  at  prices 
no  higher  than  the  rest  of  the  stock.  One  wom- 
an furnished  a  very  attractive  living-room  with 
rugs  and  furniture  for  $15  from  a  second-hand 
shop.  The  paint  and  enamel  and  cushions  cost 
$4  more.  It  is  very  interesting  how  much  at- 
tractive furnishing  can  be  done  with  very  little 
expense,  but  it  cannot  be  done  without  time  for 
looking  about  in  shops  and  thoughtful  considera- 
tion of  every  possibility. 


XI 

WHAT   TO   DO   FOR  THE   HALLS 

IT  is  important  that  the  entrance  to  the  house 
be  a  pleasant  one,  and  this  means  that  a  hall 
should  be  well  hghted,  orderly,  and  simple  in 
arrangement.  It  should  be  a  cheerful  but  re- 
served introduction,  a  preface  that  suggests  the 
rest  of  the  house.  A  hall  has  very  few  but  very 
definite  functions  to  fulfil.  It  may  be  an  attrac- 
tive waiting-room,  and  it  must  give  access  to  the 
main  rooms  of  the  house.  There  are  many 
houses  where  the  hall  opens  into  only  one  or  two 
rooms,  and  many  houses  are  so  badly  planned 
that  some  rooms  are  accessible  only  by  entrance 
through  other  rooms. 

Of  course,  a  down-stairs  hall  should  always  be 
somewhat  formal.  None  of  its  uses  are  intimate 
or  personal  in  character.  It  is  an  entrance  to  the 
house  to  be  used  by  strangers  and  acquaintances 
as  well  as  by  friends,  and  how  formal  it  should 
be  depends  on  whether  it  is  in  a  city  or  a  country 
house  and  the  interests  and  manner  of  living 
of  the  family. 

In  a  house  in  the  city  where  there  is  a  large 


128  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

family  of  varied  interests  and  many  friends  and 
acquaintances  there  is  need  for  privacy  and  pro- 
tection against  casual  intrusions  and  interruptions. 
The  hall  should  be  only  an  entrance  to  the  rest  of 
the  house..  A  father  may  have  a  business  caller, 
a  younger  daughter  her  school  friends,  an  older 
sister  a  social  engagement,  all  in  the  same  evening. 
Where  there  is  a  fonnal  hall  with  doors  which  can 
be  closed  into  adjoining  rooms  it  is  a  simple  and 
direct  matter  for  each  member  of  the  family 
to  meet  an  engagement  without  interfering  or 
intruding  on  the  rest  of  the  family. 

What  a  mistake  it  is  not  to  have  doors  from 
the  hall  into  adjoining  rooms!  For  the  person 
who  is  building  a  house  doors  do  not  cost  so  much 
as  the  draperies  or  curtains  which  are  necessary 
where  there  are  no  doors.  Large  openings  into 
a  living-room  may  appear  hospitable,  but  what 
with  draughts,  voices  from  up-stairs  or  adjoining 
rooms,  to  say  nothing  of  the  restraint  that  the 
feehng  of  being  overheard  gives,  it  is  a  case  of  the 
appearance  belying  the  fact.  This  is  one  phase  of 
the  lack  of  consideration  for  privacy  for  which 
Americans  are  so  criticized.  One  Englishman 
said  of  us,  "Their  cities  have  pubHc  squares  and 
open  streets;  so  have  their  houses." 

The  lighting  of  the  hall  is  very  important. 
There  should  be  enough  dayUght  from  door  or 
window  to  make  dark  corners  impossible.  The 
artificial  lights  should  be  placed  S3mimetrically  on 
the  side-walls  unless  it  is  possible  to  ha\'e  an 


A    SIMPLE    HALL 


WHAT  TO  DO  FOR   THE  HALLS        129 

indirect  lighting  arrangement.  If  a  center  ceiling- 
light  is  used  it  should  not  be  a  hanging  chandelier, 
inviting  bumps  and  dust,  but  should  be  placed 
close  to  the  ceiling. 

In  a  hall  the  walls  should  be  kept  very  simple. 
They  may  be  painted  or  papered  or  paneled 
wainscot.  It  is  one  of  the  few  rooms  where  gay 
patterned  or  striped  paper  can  be  used,  for  there 
should  be  no  pictures  on  the  walls.  Good  repro- 
ductions of  landscape  paper  of  the  eighteenth 
century  are  now  on  the  market,  and,  although 
rather  expensive,  they  are  very  attractive.  A 
striped  paper  is  also  good  and  in  a  hall  with  a 
stain\^ay  it  emphasizes  the  stairs  and  the  rise  to 
the  second  floor.  In  a  small  hall  a  plain  paper  or 
one  with  a  small  unobtrusive  pattern  is  best. 
Painted  walls  have  the  advantage  of  being  easily 
cleaned. 

A  mirror  of  good  design  may  be  hung  over  a 
table.  If  one  possesses  a  piece  of  tapestry  or  a 
fine  rug  or  an  interesting  piece  of  weaving,  some- 
thing decorative  and  purely  formal  in  character, 
this  may  be  hung  in  a  central  balanced  space. 
A  banjo  clock  is  often  very  suitable,  and  is  both 
useful  and  decorative  in  a  narrow  oblong  space 
or  panel.  A  tall  grandfather's  clock  is  a  dignified 
addition  to  the  furnishing  of  a  hall. 

The  floor  should  be  uncarpeted,  for  it  is  neces- 
sary that  the  hall  be  easily  and  thoroughly 
cleaned.  Large  square  tiles  in  soft  colors  make  an 
attractive  hall  floor  which  can  be  washed  daily. 


I30  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

These  are,  however,  quite  expensive.  One  large 
rug  covering  the  main  part  of  the  floor  or  a  small 
strong  rug  near  the  door  is  a  good -arrangement 
if  rugs  are  used;  or  there  may  be  a  broad  strip 
of  plain  carpet  extending  through  the  center  of  the 
hall  and  carpeting  the  stairs,  if  desirable. 

Stairs  are  more  easily  cleaned  and  quite  as 
attractive  without  the  strip  of  carpet,  yet  many 
people  prefer  the  carpeting  because  there  is  less 
noise  and  the  stairs  are  protected  from  small 
boys'  toes.  Also  there  is  less  danger  of  falling 
down  a  carpeted  stairway. 

Furnishing  a  hall  is  not  an  expensive  matter,  as 
very  little  furniture  is  necessary.  A  small  side- 
table  with  a  drawer  or  two  in  which  to  keep  time- 
tables, pad  and  pencil,  and  post-cards,  one  or  two 
straight-backed  chairs  placed  against  the  wall  in 
symmetrical  balance  are  quite  enough  furniture. 
A  mirror  which  has  a  decorative  frame — red  or 
black  lacquer  is  interesting — may  be  hung  di- 
rectly over  the  table  or  in  the  center  of  one  wall 
division. 

There  should  be  some  provision  in  a  hall  for 
the  coats  and  hats  and  umbrellas  of  guests. 
Members  of  the  family  should  keep  hats  and 
coats  in  their  rooms  or  in  a  special  closet,  and  not 
leave  them  untidily  accumulated  in  a  hall-stand. 
But  it  is  difficult  to  find  a  hat-rack  which  is  not 
clumsy  and  ugly.  There  are  many  happy  adap- 
tations and  inconspicuous  arrangements  made 
to  meet  this  need.     An  ingenious  woman  used  a 


WHAT  TO  DO  FOR  THE  HALLS       131 

row  of  brass  hooks,  copies  of  old  English  hooks, 
on  a  narrow  wood  paneling.  It  was  both  decora- 
tive and  useful.  These  old  hooks  are  reproduced 
in  many  designs  and  may  be  had  from  15  to  50 
cents  apiece.  A  small  hall  in  an  English  house 
had  an  old  brass  fender  which  had  been  cut  and 
straightened  into  an  oblong  piece  into  which 
large  hooks  were  soldered.  The  cut  pattern  of 
the  brass  plate  and  the  quaint  hooks  made  it  an 
interesting  formal  decoration,  very  useful  in  a 
small  hall.  There  are  attractive  brass  and 
porcelain  umbrella-holders,  decorative  as  well  as 
useful,  but  when  filled  with  umbrellas  which  have 
accumulated  dust  for  weeks  they  have  a  very 
untidy  appearance. 

There  are  very  few  of  the  combination  hall  and 
living-rooms  which  are  satisfactory.  They  allow 
no  assurance  of  privacy,  and  the  draughts  from 
opening  the  outside  door  and  from  the  stairs-space 
make  it  a  difficult  room  to  keep  comfortable  in 
winter  weather. 

An  up-stairs  hall  need  not  be  so  formal,  but  it 
should  be  light  and  cheerful.  Architects  and 
builders  in  planning  the  up-stairs  hall  often 
forget  the  fact  that  there  should  be  direct  day- 
light from  outside  window,  door,  or  skylight. 
It  is  always  unsatisfactory  to  depend  on  light 
coming  through  glass  in  doors  or  through  the 
open  doors  of  adjoining  bedroom  or  bath.  Fre- 
quently the  up-stairs  hall  may  be  arranged  to  give 
some  of  the  service  of  an  up-stairs  sitting-room. 
10 


132  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

Book-shelves  may  be  built  in  between  doors,  and 
they  are  especially  convenient  for  a  family  that 
likes  to  read  at  night. 

Window-seats  may  be  built  in  and  a  small 
writing-table  is  convenient  in  an  up-stairs  hall. 
If  there  is  no  linen-closet  built  in  the  house  or 
if  more  shelf-space  is  necessary  there  is  often  a 
space  here  where  a  good  old  bureau  or  a  built-in 
chest  of  drawers  can  be  placed.  One  hall  has  an 
attractive  window-seat  under  the  large  front 
window,  with  rather  high  sets  of  drawers  on  each 
side  of  the  seat.  Under  the  seat  is  a  large  com- 
partment for  comforters  and  blankets.  There 
should  be  a  closet  here  as  well  as  on  the  lower 
floor  for  brooms,  brushes,  cleaning-utensils, 
preferably  near  the  maid's  room. 

What  is  most  important  in  the  furnishing  of 
the  hall  is  a  careful  and  balanced  spacing  of  each 
piece  of  furmtiu"e.  A  hall  should  always  present 
a  formal,  open,  attractive  entrance  to  the  rest  of 
the  house. 


XII 

THE   FAMILY   LIVING-ROOM 

THAT  very  modern  part  of  the  house,  the 
living-room,  has  supplanted  the  old-fash- 
ioned parlor,  sanctum  of  weddings,  funerals,  and 
Sunday  callers.  A  drawing-room  in  a  city  house 
is  a  fonnal  room.  Wall-spaces,  tables,  chairs,  and 
hghts  are  given  a  formal,  symmetrical  arrange- 
ment. A  Hbrary  in  any  house  should  be  a  quiet, 
well-lighted  room  with  books  and  only  the  nec- 
essary furniture,  where  one  may  read  or  study 
without  disturbance. 

But  a  living-room  must  combine  these  func- 
tions and  offer  more.  It  is  the  place  where  the 
family  will  spend  their  leisure,  in  companionship 
or  study,  where  guests  arc  hospitably  received. 
It  must  be  attractive  to  youth  and  comfortable 
for  grown-ups.  It  is  a  place  for  study  as  well  as 
for  talk.  It  should  be  all  that  its  name  implies — 
a  cheerful  and  beautiful  room,  worthy  to  be  the 
center  of  the  family  hfe,  worthy  to  be  lived  in,  in 
the  finest  sense  of  the  word. 

There  is  always  one  difficulty  about  furnishing 
a  living-room.     It  has  so  many  needs  to  fill  it  is 


134  FURNISHING  THE   HOME 

difficult  to  keep  the  room  simple  and  at  the  same 
time  have  the  necessary  furniture  in  it  to  fill  these 
needs.  There  should  be  large  comfortable  chairs, 
perhaps  a  sofa,  and  a  footstool  or  two  grouped 
about  the  open  fire — for  there  should  be  a  fireplace 
in  every  living-room !  Then  a  table  is  needed  for 
lamp,  books,  and  magazines,  standing  neither  in 
the  center  of  the  room  nor  yet  against  the  wall, 
with  near  by  a  chair  or  two,  for  reading. 

For  afternoon  tea  or  evening  coffee  or  cards, 
a  place  for  a  plant  or  bowl  of  flowers,  a  smaller 
table  standing  against  the  wall  or  between 
windows,  will  be  useful.  A  tall  secretary,  desk, 
or  a  simple  table  well  supplied  with  writing-ma- 
terials should  be  placed  to  have  good  Hght  both 
day  and  evening,  for  writing,  and  should  not 
stand  too  near  the  conversation  at  the  fire- 
place. Before  it  should  stand  a  straight  chair, 
of  comfortable  height,  for  writing. 

With  all  this  more  or  less  necessary  furniture, 
and  with  desk,  table,  and  fireplace,  each  a  center 
of  interest,  it  is  essential  to  keep  a  unity  in 
the  room.  Woodwork,  walls,  curtains,  and  rugs 
should  carry  out  a  color  scheme,  including  not 
more  than  two  colors,  and  all  the  large  pieces  of 
furniture  should  be  somewhat  similar  in  type. 

If  the  walls,  woodwork,  mantel,  and  fireplace 
are  of  lovely  gray  or  tan,  the  rugs  of  plain  velvet, 
warm  green  in  color,  the  curtains  may  be  of 
chintz  patterned  with  green  foliage,  or  of  soft- 
green  silk  hung  straight  at  the  side  of  the  windows, 


THE  FAMILY  LIVING-ROOM  135 

and  the  upholstery  materials  should  have  green 
the  predominating  color.  These  are  the  be- 
ginnings of  a  restful,  harmonious  room.  There 
^  may  be  a  blue  vase  or  an  orange  one  on  the  man- 
tel, a  few  cushions  of  the  same  orange  or  blue, 
another  plain  vase  with  flowers  in  it,  a  growing 
plant,  a  bowl  of  goldfish ;  any  one  or  two  of  these 
will  give  all  the  variety  and  accent  that  is  neces- 
sary. 

Walls  and  floors  should  be  subordinate  and 
serve  as  background.  Curtains  may  be  of  any 
color  according  to  the  color  scheme  chosen,  but 
they,  too,  should  take  their  place  as  a  part  of  the 
background.  Why  do  we  so  frequently  forget 
that  a  room  is  to  be  only  a  background,  a  setting! 
The  human  beings  in  a  room  are  much  more 
important  and  interesting  than  the  furniture,  or 
at  least  they  should  be  given  an  opportunity  to 
prove  themselves  so. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  over-crowding  of  furni- 
ture and  bric-a-brac  is  our  most  flagrant  and  fre- 
quent mistake  in  furnishing.  A  woman's  club, 
very  successfully  furnished,  was  recently  com- 
pleted ;  the  privileged  few  who  got  a  first  glimpse 
of  the  large  main  room  exclaimed,  "How  empty!" 
But  never  since  has  the  room  seemed  empty,  for 
the  decorator  had  wisely  arranged  the  furniture, 
leaving  space  and  background  for  the  members 
and  visitors  who  would  be  constantly  in  and  out, 
adding  color,  as  well  as  needing  space  to  move 
about.  '  If  the  decorator  had  not  considered  and 


136  FURNISHING   THE   HOME 

taken  this  into  consideration,  the  rooms  would 
usually  have  presented  a  jumble  of  furniture  and 
people.  What  to  eliminate  is  a  question  often 
much  more  to  the  point  than  what  to  add. 

First,  the  walls  must  be  papered  and  the  wood- 
work painted.  With  the  many  needs  of  the  living- 
room,  the  many  different  pieces  of  furniture,  it 
is  necessary  that  the  walls  be  neutral  in  color, 
that  the  background  be  unobtrusive  and  restful. 
Then  the  rugs  are  chosen.  The  home-maker  is  for- 
tunate who  can  afford  a  center  rug  large  enough 
for  the  room.  If  several  smaller  rugs  are  chosen 
they  should  be  tried  in  various  arrangements. 
One  should  be  placed  in  front  of  the  fire,  one  at 
the  lx)okca5e,  another  near  the  center  of  the  room, 
another  toward  the  door.  They  should  be  parallel 
to  the  sides  of  the  room,  for  rugs  are  very  obvious 
and  disturbing  when  placed  diagonally  across  the 
floor. 

Book-shelves  should  be  planned  in  the  first 
consideration  of  the  room.  There  is  always  the 
right  place  for  their  building.  It  may  be  between 
windows,  to  fill  the  space  on  either  side  of  the  wall 
extension  of  the  fireplace,  or  perhaps  on  the  long 
space  of  the  opposite  wall.  It  is  wise  to  build 
them  with  adjustable  shelves  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  various-sized  books. 

In  any  case,  provision  should  be  made  for  long 
volumes  and  for  the  smaller  books  which  collect 
dust  and  appear  lost  on  a  high  book-shelf.  Open 
shelves,  without  glass  protecting  the  books,  are 


THE  FAMILY  LIVING-ROOM  137 

far  more  attractive,  and  librarians  tell  us  that  on 
the  whole  it  is  better  for  books  to  be  left  unin- 
closed,  so  that  air  circulates  about  them  fully. 
Books  on  open  shelves  invite  the  reader  when 
those  behind  glass  seem  remote. 

The  varied  colors  of  book-backs,  too,  always 
make  a  delightful  color  pattern  and  add  interest 
to  the  background  of  a  room.  Two  long  sets  of 
shelves  of  books,  either  side  of  a  fireplace  or  built 
around  a  desk,  have  a  decorative  value  quite  be- 
yond the  possibilities  of  the  average  picture. 

The  curtains  may  be  one-color  silk,  or  of  chintz, 
or  of  any  of  the  fascinating  patterned  fabrics  now 
on  the  market — but  the  color  must  repeat  the 
color  of  the  rugs ! 

Then  furniture  must  be  selected.  A  desk, 
chairs,  sofa,  and  tables  should  be  chosen  with 
careful  comparison  one  to  the  other  and  to  their 
placing  in  the  room.  There  must  be  various  kinds 
of  chairs.  Perhaps  an  old  mahogany  arm-chair 
has  been  found  in  some  antique  shop.  Without 
that  a  fine  reproduction  of  an  old  arm-chair  will 
be  a  good  investment  for  the  room.  It  will  prob- 
ably take  more  than  its  share  of  the  sum  at  hand 
for  furnishing,  but  it  is  much  better  to  buy  a  few 
good  things  one  at  a  time  than  to  furnish  through- 
out with  things  that,  though  cheaper,  are  less 
durable  and  beautiful,  grow  tiresome,  and  really 
prove  more  expensive  in  a  few  years  than  a  larger 
first  investment.  There  are  many  inexpensive 
chairs  which  will  serve  admirably  for  temporary 


138  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

or  even  permanent  use.  Wicker  chairs  are  alwaj'^s 
attractive  if  they  carry  out  the  color  scheme  of 
the  room.  They  may  be  stained  the  color  of  rugs 
or  curtains  and  have  cushions  of  patterned  chintz 
adding  their  gay  colors  to  the  detail  of  the  fur- 
nishing. 

Leather  chairs  are  usually  clumsy  and  offensive 
in  color.  Too  much  upholstery  gives  a  stuffy 
feeling,  and  it  is  also  difficult  to  keep  clean. 
Plain  upholstery  is  much  less  objectionable  than 
the  puffed-and-button  variety.  Some  of  the  fine 
caning  in  chairs  of  good  design  is  durable  and 
attractive.  It  is  always  possible  to  have  chairs 
recaned,  for  it  is  not  a  difficult  process  for  the 
amateur.  To  provide  new  rush  bottoms  for  chairs 
is  more  difficult. 

As  for  arm-chairs,  there  are  multitudes  of  good 
designs  from  which  to  select  one  of  good  lines, 
proportions,  and  comfort.  A  reproduction  of  the 
Martha  Washington  chair  is  one  of  the  attractive 
possibilities,  and  no  chair  offers  more  comfort 
for  an  evening  chat  or  paper  than  a  roomy  grand- 
father's chair.  An  old  grandfather's  chair  is 
rather  expensive,  but  modern  reproductions  of 
good  proportions  may  be  had  from  $15  up.  The 
American  rocker  has  had  hard  words  said  about 
it,  and,  although  inelegant  for  a  formal  room,  there 
is  no  denying  the  distinctive  character  of  an  old 
Shaker  or  Windsor  arm-chair  rocker. 

Straight  chairs  of  many  styles  are  available. 
Old  ones  arc  less  expensive  and  less  difficult  to 


THE  FAMILY  LIVING-ROOM  139 

find  than  arm-chairs.  If  strict  economy  is  neces- 
sary there  are  simple  kitchen  chairs  that  when 
stained  and  painted  are  quite  worthy  of  their 
place  in  a  living-room.  Reproductions  of  Windsor 
chairs  of  good  lines  may  be  had  for  as  little  as 
$1.50,  and  Windsor  arm-chairs  for  $2.75. 

A  sofa  is  one  of  the  more  expensive  pieces  of 
furniture,  but  its  length  adds  a  new  and  interesting 
proportion,  and  its  capacity  and  comfort  are  un- 
questioned. An  old  mahogany  one  of  Sheraton 
design  is  an  invaluable  asset.  An  Empire  sofa, 
while  more  available  and  less  expensive,  is  a  staid 
and  comfortable  acquisition.  One  ingenious 
woman  had  the  paint  scraped  off  an  old  porch 
bench  of  good  lines,  and,  behold,  a  beautiful  maple 
settee  evolved,  which,  when  becushioned  and  be- 
pillowed,  was  the  most  attractive  feature  of  her 
living-room,  and  it  cost  $5.  A  wicker  sofa  is  com- 
paratively inexpensive  and  is  very  comfortable. 
It  may  be  stained  to  match  the  color  scheme.  In 
modern  sofas  one  must  beware  of  the  fantasies  of 
the  upholsterer.  Fringes  and  buttons  add  little 
comfort  and  nothing  to  beauty  and  cleanliness. 

If  there  be  any  difficulty  about  selecting  a 
table  it  lies  in  deciding  a  preference  for  one  out 
of  so  many  of  the  attractive  tables  that  are  on  the 
market.  The  gate-leg  table  is  beautiful  in  de- 
sign as  well  as  very  practical,  for  it  may  be  used 
as  round  table  in  the  center  of  the  room  or  against 
the  wall  with  one  or  both  leaves  dropped.  These 
vary  in  price  from  $  1 2  to  $ 7  5 .     The  Dutch  bandy- 


I40  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

leg  table  has  very  good  lines  and  comes  in  many 
sizes  and  proportions  of  round,  square,  rectangu- 
lar, with  and  without  drop-leaves.  And  there  is 
something  to  be  said  for  the  simple  modern  table 
with  four  straight  legs  and  a  drawer  or  two, 
for  its  very  unpretentiousness  includes  its  pos- 
sible use  with  any  type  of  furniture.  Little 
straight-leg  tables  are  inexpensive,  and  they  are 
attractive  painted  or  enameled  in  color  to  match 
the  color  scheme  of  the  rest  of  the  room.  Even 
a  kitchen  table  of  good  proportions  and  lines  may 
be  glorified  by  a  coat  of  paint  or  enamel  and  is 
preferable  to  many  of  the  pretentious  and  ex- 
pensive golden-oak  monstrosities. 

Every  family  should  have  at  least  one  small 
folding-table  for  games  and  other  impromptu 
service.  They  may  be  carried  about  from  room 
to  room  and  folded  into  an  obscure  corner  or 
cupboard  when  not  in  use.  When  covered  they 
may  even  be  used  for  tea  or  supper  and  so  save  a 
precious  table  from  accidental  defacements  from 
hot  dishes  and  spillings.  Two  of  these  will  make 
a  good  cutting-table  for  the  home  dressmaker. 
Their  use  for  games  will  spare  children  many 
mother's  "dont's!" 

With  a  desk,  chairs,  and  sofa  chosen  there  ap- 
proaches the  difficult  problem  of  choosing  the 
accessories — the  pictures  and  little  things  that, 
unless  one  is  wary,  will  accumulate  to  a  distressing 
clutter  of  useless  bric-^-brac.  Here  it  is  that 
sentiment  must  be  sternly  dealt  with.     Have  the 


THE  FAMILY  LIVING-ROOM  141 

framed  and  unframed  photographs  of  brother, 
friend,  and  baby  in  the  intimacy  of  one's  per- 
sonal room  or  bedroom;  they  will  be  dealt  with 
more  leniently  in  another  chapter.  But  do  not 
stand  them  about  on  mantel  and  tables  to  the 
undoing  of  the  beauty  of  a  Hving-room.  In  one 
house  a  silver  bowl  with  artificial  American- 
beauty  roses  and  five  photographs  and  portraits 
of  baby  brother  and  sister  wrecked  all  the  dis- 
tinction of  an  otherwise  beautiful  Hving-room. 

It  is  difficult  to  find  good  original  paintings,  and 
costly  to  buy  them.  For  the  person  of  cultivated 
tastes,  etchings,  mezzotints,  engravings,  litho- 
graphs, and  Japanese  prints  are  a  fascinating 
hobby.  They  make  good  wall  decoration,  and 
may  be  a  profitable  investment  as  well.  But 
original  pictures  are  only  for  the  person  of 
knowledge  and  discriminating  tastes  and  ample 
income. 

There  are  beautiful  and  inexpensive  colored 
reproductions  of  pictures  that  time  and  artistic 
judgment  have  set  a  seal  upon,  and  these  are  of 
unquestioned  and  permanent  beauty.  The  Eng- 
glish  Medici  prints  in  colors,  reproductions  of 
old  masters,  are  beautiful  and  inexpensive. 
Their  prices  range  from  $2  to  $15,  and  they  may 
be  ordered  direct  from  the  American  agent  in 
Boston.  Very  good  German  color  reproductions 
of  old  masters  are  available  also.  The  Italian, 
Dutch,  English,  and  French  masters  have  all 
been  well  reproduced  in  color.     The  Metropolitan 


142  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

Museum  has  published  fine  color  prints  of  a  few 
of  their  pictures,  and  it  is  the  plan  to  publish 
many  more.  These  reproductions  cost  but  one 
dollar. 

The  brown  or  gray  photographs  or  paintings 
are  less  desirable  than  the  color  ones,  losing,  as 
they  do,  the  beauty  of  color  of  the  original.  But 
how  much  more  distinction  and  charm  there  is  in 
a  reprint  of  a  Holbein  drawing  or  a  photograph 
of  the  cartoon  of  the  "Mother  and  Child"  of 
Leonardo  da  Vinci  than  in  the  average  sentimental 
mediocrities  that  flood  the  market ! 

These  charming  prints  and  reproductions  do 
not  stare  out  at  one  from  the  walls  of  the  average 
department  store,  but  they  may  be  ordered  at 
comparatively  low  price  from  good  dealers  in 
large  cities,  who  usually  have  adequate  catalogues 
or  will  give  information  on  application.  Picture- 
dealers  of  good  standing  welcome  the  amateur, 
and  constant  visits  to  print  shops,  plus  intelligent 
reading  and  observation,  may  result  in  conn-ois- 
seurship. 

Houses  usually  have  too  many  pictures.  Only 
one  or  two  very  good  pictures  at  the  most  should 
be  hung  on  one  wall-space.  They  should  be 
hung  at  a  reasonable  eye-level.  Picture-wires 
should  be  as  unobtrusive  as  possible.  It  is  well 
to  hang  wires  in  vertical  lines  from  two  hooks  on 
the  molding  to  each  side  of  the  picture.  Small 
light  pictures  may  be  fastened  by  a  short  invisible 
wire  to  a  nail  driven  into  the  wall.     A  very 


THE  FAMILY  LIVING-ROOM  143 

slender  wire  nail  will  hold  a  picture  of  considerable 
size,  and  can  be  removed  without  leaving  a  notice- 
able marking  on  the  paper.  It  is  difficult,  how- 
ever, to  drive  any  kind  of  nail  into  an  unpapered 
wall  without  marking  it. 

There  are  many  interesting  wall  decorations 
other  than  pictures.  A  sampler  or  old  piece  of 
needlework,  if  carefully  framed,  has  much  more 
beauty  and  interest  than  the  average  picture.  A 
piece  of  interesting  textile  makes  a  decorative 
panel  on  wall-spaces.  A  tile  of  good  design  and 
color  will  make  an  interesting  wall  decoration. 

And  why  are  the  inexpensive  and  beautiful 
plaster  casts  in  bas-relief  so  neglected  for  wall 
decoration  ?  It  is  true  that  their  whiteness  is  cold 
and  glaring,  but  a  simple  process  will  change  that. 
Oil  paint  with  turpentine  brushed  lightly  over  the 
plaster-cast  and  rubbed  off  with  a  cloth  will  give 
a  depth  of  color  and  a  lovely  quality  to  the  plaster. 

The  plaster  reproductions  are  very  inexpensive. 
A  beautiful  copy  of  a  Madonna  and  Child  of 
Verocchio's,  large  enough  to  go  over  a  mantel,  may 
be  had  for  $1.  A  plaster  with  head  of  Dante  in 
circular  reHef  had  the  background  painted  in  a 
dull  Italian  blue,  the  head  in  browns,  and  the 
whole  covered  with  one  coat  of  shellac.  It  made 
a  charming  wall  decoration  over  a  desk,  and  cost 
just  35  cents. 

A  mirror  may  be  hung  as  a  formal  wall  deco- 
ration. The  long  Colonial  mirror  with  painted 
panels  is  attractive  over  a  living-room  mantel. 


144  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

There  are  good  reproductions  of  Colonial  and 
Georgian  mirrors  on  the  market  at  prices  ranging 
from  $io  to  $ioo.  Where  a  mirror  is  built  in  over 
a  mantel  and  cannot  be  removed  it  is  frequently- 
possible  to  take  off  some  of  the  gewgaw  details 
of  the  woodwork  accessories  and,  leaving  the 
mantel  clear  of  bric-a-brac,  make  the  most  of  a 
bad  bargain  by  ignoring  it  as  far  as  possible.  A 
plain  mantel-shelf  is  always  to  be  preferred  to  a 
so-called  cabinet-mantel. 

Lighting  is  an  important  feature  of  the  living- 
room.  There  should  be  plenty  of  daylight.  A 
western  and  southern  exposure,  with  the  winter 
afternoon  sun,  is  more  desirable  here  than  in  a 
dining-room,  where  the  morning  sun  should  be  a 
breakfast  accompaniment. 

Artificial  lighting  of  the  living-room  should  be 
planned  in  the  building  of  the  house,  so  that  the 
side-lights  are  placed  where  most  necessary,  near 
book-shelves  or  desk. 

A  center  ceiHng-light  is  not  appropriate  for  the 
needs  of  the  living-room,  and  is  less  restful  and 
attractive  than  the  varying  lights  from  open  fire, 
from  a  shaded  reading-lamp  and  drop-lights,  also 
shaded,  on  desk  and  book-shelves.  A  kerosene  or 
alcohol  lamp  for  the  table,  with  a  green-glass 
shade  or  a  simple  soft-color  silk  shade,  gives  a 
clear,  steady  light  for  reading,  and  adds  to  the 
attractiveness  of  the  room.  An  electric-lighted 
lamp,  requiring  as  it  docs  connection  \vith  a  wall 
or  ceiling  attachment,  is  less  trouble  than  a  kcro- 


THE  FAMILY  LIVING-ROOM  145 

sene-lamp,  although  the  necessary  tubing  is  often 
disturbingly  obvious. 

Candle-lights  on  the  mantel  or  at  desk  are  very 
attractive,  and  no  room  and  no  hour  of  the  day 
is  more  restful  than  the  living-room  when  the 
candles  are  Hghted  and  the  open  fire  glows 
through  the  twilight. 

If  the  materials  first  selected  for  au-tains  and 
upholstery  are  just  right  in  color  and  texture  it  is 
often  wise  to  buy  enough  to  replace  the  wear  and 
fading  of  a  few  years*  use.  It  is  usually  impossible 
to  match  materials  of  this  kind  even  a  few  months 
after  they  arc  bought. 

One  cannot  overestimate  the  value  that  flowers 
or  growing  plants  may  add  to  a  room.  To  be 
sure,  flowers  must  be  considered  as  luxuries,  but 
what  other  luxuries  are  as  necessary?  One  bowl 
of  flowers  will  give  joy  to  a  whole  family  and  add 
a  touch  of  color  and  beauty  that  will  revive  the 
dullest  of  rooms.  Flowers  in  season  are  not  an 
extravagance,  but  for  the  economical  there  are 
plants  and  vines  that  with  reasonable  care  will 
survive  many  seasons. 

One  of  the  pleasant  things  about  furnishing  a 
living-room  is  that  it  may  grow  more  attractive 
with  use.  A  new  bit  of  color  may  be  added,  com- 
fort emphasized,  and  its  usefulness  extended  to 
meet  all  the  needs  of  the  family.  No  other  room 
in  the  house  offers  such  possibiHties  and  variety  of 
attractive  furnishing. 


XIII 

THE   DINING-ROOM 

DECORATION  and  usefulness  should  play  into 
each  other's  hands.  Whereas  the  Hving-room 
has  so  many  and  such  varied  uses,  the  needs  of 
the  dining-room  are  few  and  definite.  A  dining- 
table  in  the  center  of  the  room,  chairs  placed 
at  regular  intervals  against  the  wall  when  not 
in  use  at  table,  a  sideboard  in  the  center  of  a 
clear  wall-space,  a  serving-table  not  too  far  from 
the  pantry  door — this  is  all  the  furniture  that  the 
dining-room  requires. 

In  many  houses  the  dining-room  is  looked  upon 
primarily  as  a  place  for  formal  dinners.  The  dark 
heavy  furniture  and  the  stuffy  upholstery  are  only 
relieved  by  the  lights,  the  table  Hnen,  and  service. 

But  we  are  growing  more  sensible  about  our 
dining-rooms.  The  universal  French  custom  of 
breakfasting  in  one's  room,  the  English  custom  of 
buffet  breakfast,  will  never  supplant  that  Amer- 
ican institution  of  the  family  breakfast.  So  why 
should  not  the  dining-room  be  as  attractive  in  the 
morning  light  and  at  high  noon  as  under  the 
artificial  light  at  the  evening  meal? 


THE  DINING-ROOM  147 

Freshness  is  an  important  element  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  dining-room.  For  the  average 
house  a  simple  dining-room,  furnished  in  the 
spirit  of  the  lightness  of  modem  glass  and  china, 
is  more  suitable  than  a  room  with  heavy  furniture 
and  dark  upholstery. 

The  walls  of  a  dining-room  should  be  of  neutral 
tone,  similar  in  color  to  adjoining  rooms.  It  is 
well  to  keep  them  clear  of  pictures  and  decorations, 
for  there  are  few  dining-rooms  and  pictures  which 
belong  together.  The  stenciled  frieze  and  the 
elaborately  patterned  wall-paper  add  nothing  to 
the  beauty  of  the  walls.  One  frequently  sees  a 
dining-room  which  has  a  chair-rail  dividing  the 
wall  horizontally,  with  plain  wall-paper  or  bur- 
lap below  the  chair-rail  and  a  fruit,  flower,  or 
grape  patterned  wall-paper  above  the  chair-rail. 
Unless  these  papers  are  very  similar  in  color  and 
the  pattern  dull  and  unobvious  this  breaking  up 
of  wall-space  is  very  disturbing. 

A  plate-rail  with  a  procession  of  plates,  mugs, 
and  tiowls  catching  the  dust  is  another  mistaken 
idea  of  decoration.  A  small  plate-rail  over  a  side- 
table  or  in  the  center  of  a  wall-space  at  a  height 
within  easy  reach  may  be  very  useful  and  also 
may  make  an  interesting  panel  of  decoration. 

A  rug  of  plain  color  or  unobvious  pattern,  dark 
enough  so  that  it  will  not  readily  show  markings, 
and  not  too  heavy  to  be  frequently  taken  up  and 
aired,  one  that  is  easily  cleaned  and  large  enough 
to  cover  the  center  of  the  room,  meets  the  prac- 
11 


148  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

tical  needs  of  the  dining-room  floor.  It  should 
be  of  color  harmonious  with  the  rest  of  the  room. 
Curtains  should  be  comparatively  Hght  in  texture 
and  in  harmony  mth  the  general  color  scheme  of 
the  room.  Heavy  curtains  will  absorb  and  hold 
odors  of  food. 

It  is  interesting  to  have  the  one  or  two  pre- 
dominant colors  of  the  room  repeated  in  the  rug, 
curtains,  and  china. 

And  a  ^most  fascinating  field  is  offered  in  china 
and  pottery  and  glass.  Now  that  the  epidemic  of 
cut  glass  and  hand-painted  beflowered  china  has 
partly  passed,  those  who  have  come  safely  through 
it  look  back  on  it  as  a  deplorable  show  of  bad 
taste  and  showy  display. 

For  the  discriminating  person  the  shops  hold 
a  variety  of  interesting  china.  There  is  modern 
Sevres  and  Dresden  and  the  beautiful  blue-and- 
white  Copenhagen,  to  say  nothing  of  the  many 
patterns  of  Enghsh  china,  but  these  are  all  rather 
expensive.  There  are  many  modem  inexpensive 
designs  in  EngHsh,  French,  and  American  ware 
that  are  neither  commonplace  nor  overdecorated. 
The  Chelsea  ware,  with  its  little  violet-blue 
flowers  in  low  reUef ,  is  very  attractive  and  quite 
inexpensive.  The  American  Belleek  has  a  lovely 
cream-color  paste  and  glaze  and  comes  in  dis- 
tinctive shapes,  with  or  without  a  gold-band 
decoration.  It  is  comparatively  inexpensive. 
Then  the  jolly  Brittany  pottery  from  France  and 
the   highly   decorative   Cantigalli   pottery   from 


THE  DINING-ROOM  149 

Italy  may  be  purchased  and  imported  for  so  very 
little  that  one  wonders  that  its  decorative  qual- 
ities have  not  been  more  widely  recognized. 
Either  is  enchanting  for  a  breakfast  or  luncheon 
service,  very  suitable  for  a  country  house  or 
bungalow.  The  green  Spanish  pottery  plates  and 
bowls  make  an  attractive  salad  service.  Chinese 
and  Japanese  porcelain  has  unlimited  decorative 
possibilities,  and  the  modern  Chinese  and  Japa- 
nese plates,  bowls,  cups  and  saucers  are  quite 
inexpensive. 

Americans  seem  to  be  afraid  to  use  color. 
Europe  offers  us  inspiration  in  both  color  and 
design.  An  American  traveler  in  Italy  recognized 
the  possibilities  of  Venetian  glass  for  table  service, 
and  the  wine-colored  glass  handles  of  the  knives 
and  forks  are  an  ingenious  part  of  a  beautiful 
salad-and-fruit  service  of  wine-color  Venetian  glass. 

It  is  as  difficult  to  find  fine  old  glass  as  it  is  to 
find  beautiful  old  china,  although  it  is  not  as  diffi- 
cult of  identification.  But  reproductions  are  be- 
ing made  in  simple  shapes,  and  they  are  so  much 
more  dignified  than  the  modem  designs  of  cut 
glass  that  it  seems  almost  unnecessary  to  speak  of 
the  garishness  of  much  of  the  overdecorated  cut 
glass  now  on  the  market. 

There  are  also  good  designs  in  silver  and  silver- 
plated  ware  now  which  are  simple  and  far  more 
attractive  and  practical  than  the  elaborate 
flower  and  figure  designs  so  popular  a  few  years 
ago. 


ISO  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  dining-room 
chairs  should  be  alike,  and  that  chairs,  table, 
and  sideboard  should  not  be  too  unlike  in  type. 
Upholstery  is  unpractical  for  the  dining-room, 
and  cane  or  rush  bottom  or  wood  seats  are 
preferable  for  dining-room  chairs. 

Any  of  the  reproductions  of  old  furniture  in 
tables,  sideboards,  straight  and  arm  chairs  are 
suitable  for  use  in  the  dining-room.  A  very 
attractive  and  inexpensive  dining-room  set  may 
be  made  from  simple  furniture  of  good  straight 
lines  by  painting  or  enameling  in  color.  Direc- 
tions for  painting  furniture  are  given  in  Handy 
Man's  Chapter. 

The  table  in  the  dining-room  should  be  kept 
entirely  clear  between  service  of  meals  except  for 
a  vase  of  flowers,  a  plant,  or  a  large  bowl  of 
fruit  in  the  center  of  the  table  as  decoration. 
It  is  very  little  trouble  to  clear  the  table,  and 
leaving  it  with  the  cloth  on  gives  an  unpleasant 
impression  of  lack  of  care.  Fresh  flowers  or  a 
growing  plant  add  immeasurably  to  the  beauty  of 
the  dining-table.  A  clear,  light  dining-room  with 
a  bowl  of  yellow  daffodils  and  morning  sunlight  is  a 
joyous  background  for  the  beginning  of  a  new  day. 

A  sideboard  should  not  try  to  rival  a  jeweler's 
window.  A  few  pieces  of  china  or  silver,  carefully 
balanced  on  either  side,  the  candlesticks  arranged 
in  a  symmetrical,  prim  row,  will  add  necessary 
decoration  and  relieve  the  plainness  without 
glitter  and  vulgar  display. 


A   CONVENIENT    BUTLEr's    PANTRY 


THE  DINING-ROOM  151 

A  facetious  hostess  characterized  the  large 
lighting-fixture  that  hung  suspended  by  a  heavy 
iron  chain  in  the  center  of  the  dining-room  in  her 
rented  apartment,  as  her  "social  error."  It  is 
more  than  that.  Its  only  value  hes  in  the  concen- 
tration of  Hght  over  the  table  at  evening  meal. 
In  the  daytime  it  is  a  crude,  ugly  obstacle,  immov- 
able, and  heavy  enough  to  give  an  unpleasant 
impression  of  its  suspended  strain  on  the  chain 
which  supports  it.  The  Hght  it  gives  at  night  is 
glaring,  and — a  worse  fault  at  this  social  hour — 
unbecoming.  Such  a  chandeHer  should  be  re- 
moved at  once.  It  can  be  stored  and  guarded 
for  the  next  tenant  if  ever  that  tenant  has  the 
bad  taste  to  want  it. 

Candle-lights  are  in  all  regards  the  most  smt- 
able  and  beautiful  Hghting  for  the  table.  Candles 
give  a  soft  Hght,  make  an  interesting  balanced 
decoration  on  the  table,  and  when  not  in  use  can 
be  placed  out  of  the  way  in  an  orderly  and  decora- 
tive arrangement  on  table  or  sideboard.  There 
may  also  be  additional  Hght  from  candles  placed 
on  sideboard  or  mantels.  Candles  are  no  more 
expensive — generally  less  so — than  other  artificial 
Hght. 

Old  Sheffield  or  silver  candlesticks  are  very 
beautiful,  but  they  are  beyond  the  possibiHties  of 
a  Hmited  income.  But  brass,  china,  or  glass 
candlesticks  in  good  simple  designs  are  very  inex- 
pensive and  are  for  sale  in  any  department  store 
or  china  shop.   There  should  be  one  or  two  electric 


152  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

or  gas  side-lights,  which  may  be  used  before  or 
after  dinner,  when  light  is  neceSvSary  elsewhere 
than  at  table. 

Table  linen  has  long  been  the  pride  and  ambi- 
tion of  the  housewife.  But  the  original  expense 
and  the  labor  and  care  of  laundry  has  made  the 
use  of  doilies  and  center-piece  a  welcome  innova- 
tion. So  much  expense  and  labor  of  laundry  and 
mending  is  eliminated  by  the  use  of  doilies  that 
their  popularity  has  extended  almost  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  table-cloth.  Doilies  may  be 
used  for  dinner  service  as  well  as  for  breakfast 
and  luncheon.  They  are  a  boon  to  the  woman 
who  does  her  own  work.  One  charming  luncheon- 
table  was  set  with  blue-and-white  willow-ware, 
purchased  at  a  five-and-ten-cent  store.  The  doilies 
were  of  white  linen  with  an  edge  embroidered  in 
blue. 

Japanese  blue-and-white  towehng  laid  across 
the  table,  a  place  at  the  end  of  each  strip,  makes 
an  attractive  informal  arrangement.  Doilies  are 
usually  of  white  linen,  with  lace-embroidered  or 
hemstitched  edges,  but  they  are  attractive  in 
color  to  match  the  china  or  color  scheme  of  the 
room. 

Another  boon  to  the  woman  who  does  her  own 
work  is  the  servette,  a  circular  revolving  heavy 
glass  plate  on  a  center  pivot  standard.  This  is 
large  enough  to  hold  bread  and  butter,  salt,  pep- 
per, sugar,  cream,  jam,  and  many  of  the  things 
needed  by  every  one  in  the  course  of  the  meal. 


THE  DINING-ROOM  153 

Each  person  at  table  can  reach,  turn  the  servette, 
and  serve  himself  without  the  confusion  of  passing 
dishes  about.  A  second  help  to  the  family  who 
wait  on  themselves  at  table  is  a  wheeled  serving- 
table  with  an  "up-stairs"  and  "down-stairs,"  as 
the  children  say.  This,  placed  at  the  right  of  the 
mother  of  the  family  and  with  carefully  planned 
arrangement,  does  away  with  most  of  the  other- 
wise necessary  getting  up  and  moving  about. 
In  a  small  house  or  apartment  this  serving-table 
can  be  kept  in  the  dining-room. 

Another  useful  labor-saving  device  is  the  large 
sheet  of  plate-glass  cut  to  fit  precisely  the  top  of 
the  dining-table  and  sideboard.  It  should  cover 
the  wood  directly,  to  protect  it  from  scratches 
and  accidents  of  table  service.  It  also  has  the 
advantage  of  being  easily  kept  perfectly  clean  by 
simply  washing  it  with  soap  and  water  and  pol- 
ishing with  a  soft  cloth. 

There  are  a  number  of  electric  contrivances, 
such  as  for  toasting  and  for  making  coffee,  that 
are  now  much  used,  especially  on  the  breakfast- 
table.  They  are  on  demonstration  at  the  offices 
of  electric  companies,  and  each  housewife  must 
decide  which  she  can  use  and  buy  with  profit. 

There  is  no  one  phase  of  family  life  more  im- 
portant than  an  orderliness  at  table.  This  does 
not  require  the  service  of  a  waitress  nor  elaborate 
table  arrangement.  It  does  require  careful  selec- 
tion of  glass  and  china  and  precision  in  placing 
them  on  the  table.    Perhaps  some  day  doctors  will 


154  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

get  around  to  telling  us  how  much  appetite  and 
digestion  depend  on  the  attractive  appeal  of  an 
orderly,  beautiful  dining-room. 

The  beauty  of  the  dining-room  and  service  at 
table  is  not  dependent  on  a  display  of  china  and 
cut  glass  nor  elaborate  service.  A  very  simple 
home  may  have,  with  careful  planning  of  color 
and  arrangement,  a  delightful,  gay  dining-room 
and  attractive  table  and  service. 


XIV 

THE    BEDROOMS 

AS  with  a  dining-room,  the  furnishings  of  a  bed- 
i  room  must  meet  a  few  definite  needs.  The 
criticism  is  often  heard,  "Would  you  Hke  to  be 
ill  in  that  bedroom?"  And  there  are  many  other 
equally  pertinent  questions  which  may  be  asked. 
"Would  you  like  to  be  well  in  that  bedroom?" 
"Is  it  a  comfortable  place  to  dress?"  "Is  it  a 
light  and  a  well- ventilated  room?" 

The  bedroom  should  be  planned  so  that  there 
is  clear  wall-space  for  beds,  with  cross-draught 
ventilation  if  possible ;  space  between  or  near  win- 
dows for  dressing-table,  and  ample  drawer  and 
cupboard  space.  There  must  be  room  for  clothes 
that  hang,  and  for  folded  clothes,  for  linen,  for 
hats,  to  say  nothing  of  places  for  ties,  ribbons, 
gloves,  and  frills. 

A  large  combination  bedroom  and  sitting- 
room,  with  open  fire  and  book-shelves,  sewing- 
table  and  comfortable  chairs,  is  a  pleasant  room 
for  an  invalid,  or  for  older  members  of  the  family 
who  spend  much  of  the  time  indoors,  and  for  whom 
it  is  difficult  to  go  about  easily. 


is6  FURNISHING  THE   HOME 

But  the  bedroom  of  the  average  house  is  Hke 
the  middle-size  bear,  being  neither  very  small  nor 
very  large,  just  sizable  for  its  uses,  offering  a 
place  to  sleep  and  a  place  to  dress. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  a  bedroom  with 
a  small  dressing-room  adjoining  is  more  desirable 
and  practical  than  the  very  large  bedroom.  If 
the  dressing-room  is  kept  warm,  the  windows 
in  the  bedroom  may  be  open  wide  all  the  night 
without  the  discomfort  of  dressing  in  a  bit- 
terly cold  room  in  a  winter  morning.  But  a 
dressing-room  and  a  private  bath  are  both  lux- 
uries which  bespeak  their  own  comfort  so  clearly 
that  it  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  their  advan- 
tages. They  are  out  of  the  question  for  a  house 
in  which  the  expense  of  building  of  every  foot  of 
floor-space  must  be  considered. 

But  there  are  fundamental  necessities  which 
should  be  included  in  every  bedroom.  A  com- 
fortable bed  and  a  small  table  beside  the  bed  for 
reading-light,  clock,  and  perhaps  telephone,  a 
well-lighted  and  mirrored  dressing-table,  a  long 
mirror,  chairs  and  a  footstool,  plenty  of  cup- 
board and  drawer  space — these  are  necessary  for 
the  bedroom.  A  writing-desk  or  table  is  an  ad- 
ditional convenience  and  is  especially  fitting  for 
a  guest-room.  A  stand  for  pitcher  and  wash-bowl 
is  also  necessary  in  a  house  with  no  bath-room, 
or  where  a  large  family  must  all  use  the  one  bath- 
room. 

Plain  wall-paper,  or  simple  figured  wall-paper 


A   CORNER   OF   AN   ATTIC    BEDROOM 


THE   BEDROOMS  157 

with  light  background  and  small  gay  pattern  of 
flowers  in  soft  coloring,  may  be  Used  in  a  bedroom. 
Chintz  is  particularly  attractive  for  curtains,  but 
should  be  used  with  plain  walls.  Dimities,  scrim, 
muslins  are  more  suitable  than  silk  and  velvet 
curtains.  They  also  have  the  advantage  of  being 
easily  washed  and  add  a  fresh  Hght  effect  to  the 
room. 

A  comfortable  bed  with  a  good  mattress  and 
springs  is  the  most  important  item.  Two  single 
beds  are  better  than  one  double  bed.  A  good 
mattress  is  a  better  investment  than  lace  pin- 
cushions; aside  from  its  greater  comfort  it  will 
outwear  many  of  the  cheaper  cotton  or  excelsior 
filled  mattresses.  As  for  the  bed  itself,  it  is  not 
so  difficult  now  to  find  simple  attractive  designs 
as  it  was  a  few  years  ago. 

In  the  reaction  from  the  ugly  and  heavy  black 
walnut  and  golden  oak  bedroom  suites  the  brass 
bed  came  into  fashion.  It  had  the  advantage  of 
being  light  and  clean,  but  the  insistent  shine  of 
the  metal  and  its  dissimilarity  to  anything  else 
in  the  room  offered  no  improvement  in  beauty 
over  its  predecessors.  A  simple  white  enameled 
bed  of  good  Hnes  is  preferable  to  the  most  expen- 
sive of  brass  beds.  There  are  inexpensive  beds 
in  simple  straight  -  line  designs  in  wood  which 
may  be  painted  or  enameled  in  color  to  suit 
the  color  scheme  of  the  room.  Very  good  re- 
productions of  four  -  poster  beds  are  on  the 
market,  some  of  which   are   small   enough  for 


IS8  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

the  average  size  bedroom  and  are  comparatively 
inexpensive. 

The  good  housewife  is  wary  of  elaborate  lace 
and  silk  bed  covering.  A  simple  cover  of  chintz 
or  linen,  in  color  and  pattern  to  suit  the  furnish- 
ings of  the  room,  folded  in  trimly  at  the  sides  and 
ends  of  bed,  involves  much  less  care  and  helps 
to  give  an  impression  of  groomed  tidiness  to  the 
room.  The  pillows,  of  course,  are  not  in  evidence 
during  the  day  except  in  formal  arrangement 
under  covers  made  of  the  same  material  as  the  bed 
itself. 

The  old  -  fashioned  knitted  or  crocheted  bed- 
spread with  knotted  fringe  is  quaint  and  attrac- 
tive in  a  room  which  is  colonial  in  character. 
One  very  attractive  bedroom  has  simple,  straight- 
line  furniture  enameled  in  a  soft  gray.  One  wicker 
chair  is  stained  a  deep  silver-gray.  The  cushions 
are  of  a  gay  chintz  of  many  colored  roses  and 
green  foliage.  The  rug  is  a  large  plain  green 
woven  rag  rug.  The  two  beds  are  covered  with 
old-fashioned  quilts  of  tiny  triangular  flock-of- 
birds  pattern  pieced  in  white  and  rose  color,  with 
a  deep  border  of  the  rose  color  matching  the  rose 
of  the  curtains.  The  order  for  these  quilts  had 
been  given  at  a  church  bazaar  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  rose-color  material  was  originally 
white  musHn  and  it  had  been  dyed  to  match  the 
color  scheme  of  the  room.  They  were  dignified 
in  design,  harmonious  in  color,  and  beautiful  in 
workmanship,  and  the  two  of  them  cost  but  ten 


THE  BEDROOMS  159 

dollars.     They  will  wear  themselves  into  heir- 
looms ! 

A  small  table  beside  the  bed  with  a  shaded 
reading-lamp,  a  place  for  tray  with  pitcher  or 
caraffe  of  water  and  a  glass  tumbler,  and  a 
drawer  for  pad  and  pencil,  is  a  comfort  and  lux- 
ury for  those  who  like  to  retire  early  and,  propped 
up  with  pillows,  read  before  going  to  sleep.  It  is 
also  a  convenient  place  for  a  watch  or  a  small 
clock.  A  book-shelf  is  often  a  convenient  ad- 
dition to  a  bedroom. 

A  dressing-table  is  another  necessity.  First 
of  all,  it  should  be  placed  to  have  good  Hght  both 
in  day  and  evening.  If  it  stands  between  windows 
or  in  front  of  a  window  or  group  of  windows, 
there  will  be  ample  light  by  day.  Side-hghts  of 
gas  or  electricity  should  be  placed  on  either  side 
of  the  dressing-table,  and  a  drop-hght  is  often 
very  convenient.  The  flickering  candle-light  is 
rather  uncertain  to  dress  by.  The  dressing-table 
may  be  a  bureau  or  a  low  chest  of  drawers,  with 
mirror  arrangement,  or  it  may  be  the  more  con- 
venient dressing-table  of  one  or  two  necessary 
drawers,  with  an  open  clear  space  underneath, 
so  that  one  may  sit  up  close  to  the  table  com- 
fortably with  knees  imder  the  table.  A  mirror 
with  adjustable  wings  on  either  side  is  very  con- 
venient for  the  fastidious  person. 

Any  table  may  be  transformed  into  a  dressing- 
table  by  the  addition  of  mirror-stand.  The  small 
mahogany  ones  with  little  drawers,  of  Georgian 


i6o  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

style,  sometimes  called  shaving-stands,  also  known 
as  a  Chesterfield  mirror,  are  very  attractive 
and  useful,  but  the  mirrors  are  usually  rather 
small.  A  cover  of  clear  French  glass  for  top 
of  the  dressing-table  protects  the  top  ; of  the 
table,  and  is  easily  cleared  of  dust  and  powder 
dustings. 

A  clutter  of  bottles  and  silver  brushes,  of  cos- 
metics and  bo.xes  rivaling  the  dressing-table  of 
a  musical-comedy  star,  is  in  the  same  question- 
able taste  with  all  personal  display.  As  for  the 
powder-boxes  and  their  like,  it  is  the  result  that 
matters,  not  the  means,  and  an  artistic  result 
conceals  the  means.  A  few  necessary  and  simple 
toilet  articles  in  orderly  arrangement  makes  an 
incomparably  more  wholesome  and  attractive 
dressing-table  than  a  display  of  lace  pin-cushions 
and  elaborate  toilet  articles. 

There  should  be  at  least  one  comfortable  arm- 
chair and  one  or  two  straight  chairs  in  a  bed- 
room of  average  size.  Cushions  and  a  footstool! 
What  a  comfort  they  are  to  the  weary!  Even 
a  slender-slippered  guest  will  be  grateful  for  a 
footstool ! 

A  fine  bureau  or  chest  of  drawers  is  always  a 
dignified  and  useful  piece  of  furniture  for  the  bed- 
room. Often  the  architecture  of  the  room  offers 
space  for  built-in  drawers  and  shelves.  It  is  an 
advantage  to  have  the  front  of  the  drawers  or 
shelves  on  hinges  opening  out.  Then  whatever 
is   on    the    shelf    is   available   without   digging 


THE  BEDROOMS  i6i 

through  and  disarranging  the  articles  in  the  top 
of  the  drawer. 

Pictures,  prints,  or  even  photographs  of  one's 
family  and  friends  are  suitable  when  hung  in 
groups  or  in  the  center  of  a  clear  wall -space. 
Figured  wall-paper  is  decorative  in  itself,  and 
pictures  detract  from  it.  They  only  belong  on 
plain  walls. 

A  chaniiing  bedroom  had  gray  wall-paper,  gray 
painted  furniture,  curtains  of  white  muslin  with 
yellow  polka-dots,  a  bed-cover  of  plain  yellow 
linen,  a  reading-lamp  and  side-lights  with  yellow 
shades,  a  dark,  plain  gray  rug.  Wash-bowl  and 
pitcher,  a  vase  for  flowers,  and  pin-trays  were  of 
plain  yellow  Japanese  pottery.  It  was  sunny 
and  cheerful.  The  same  furniture  and  rug  would 
be  attractive  in  a  bedroom  with  green  the  pre- 
dominant color. 

The  main  thing  to  remember  in  furnishing  a 
bedroom  is  to  have  light  and  fresh  air  and  to 
keep  the  room  clear  and  restful.  Upholstery 
and  too  many  hangings  give  a  stuffy  feeling.  It 
should  have  that  impression  of  freshness  which 
only  comes  with  washable  covers  and  curtains. 

The  Bath-room 

There  is  but  one  standard  for  a  bath-room — 
large  enough,  but  not  too  large,  and  perfect  clean- 
liness. The  care  required  for  cleanliness  should 
not  be  unnecessarily  increased  by  useless  space. 


i62  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

Open  sanitary  plumbing,  a  porcelain  tub  and 
wash-bowl  are  the  necessary  eqmpment  of  a 
model  bath-room.  If  there  are  funds  enough  a 
shower-bath  and  foot-tub  should  be  added.  Un- 
fortunately, the  bath-tubs  that  are  set  solid  to 
the  floor  are  as  yet  much  more  expensive  than 
those  on  legs.    They  simpHfy  cleaning. 

The  floor  should  be  of  tile  or  concrete,  or  if 
of  wood  the  floor  should  be  covered  with  lino- 
leum. The  walls  should  be  wainscot  of  the  tile  or 
enamel,  which  can  be  washed  with  soap  and  water. 

There  should  be  a  small  cupboard  in  which  to 
keep  necessary  toilet  articles,  and  this  may  well 
have  a  mirror  in  the  door.  Side-lights  placed  near 
a  mirror  will  provide  necessary  light  for  washing 
and  shaving. 

A  soiled-clothes  chute  to  the  basement  or  laun- 
dry is  conveniently  located  near  the  bath-room. 
It  is  inadvisable  to  keep  a  hamper  for  all  soiled 
clothes  here,  but  it  is  well,  however,  to  have  a 
small  covered  basket  or  other  receptacle  for 
soiled  towels.  This  should  be  emptied  every 
morning  when  the  bath-room  is  given  its  daily 
cleaning. 

The  bath-room  should  be  kept  clear  of  obvious 
toilet  articles.  A  towel-rack,  with  fresh  towels, 
and  soap-holders  may  be  in  evidence  with  sup- 
plies for  guest,  or  family.  If  each  member  of  the 
family  has  a  section  of  the  cupboard,  and  in  his 
or  her  own  bedroom  a  towel-rack,  it  will  be  quite 
easy  to  keep  the  bath- room  comparatively  clear. 


THE   BEDROOMS  163 

The  first  and  last  impression  of  a  bath-room 
should  always  be  of  its  immaculate  cleanliness. 
Light  tile  and  enamel  will  add  much  to  the  ap- 
pearance of  freshness  as  well  as  minimize  labor. 
But  ordinary  enamel  paint  and  constant  care  will 
make  any  bath-room  an  inviting  ally  of  cleanli- 
ness. 
12 


XV 

THE    KITCHEN   AND    LAUNDRY 

IF  orderliness  is  a  large  part  of  beauty,  no  house- 
keeper need  be  told  that  a  kitchen  can  be 
beautiful.  The  old  Dutch  kitchens,  with  their 
rows  of  copper  pans,  their  plate-rails  of  gay  pot- 
tery and  china,  are  evidence  of  the  decorative 
possibilities  in  the  selection  and  arrangement  of 
cookery  utensils. 

But  convenience  and  care  of  cleaning  arc  es- 
sential requirements  for  the  kitchen  of  the  mod- 
ern housekeeper.  The  room  should  be  only  as 
large  as  is  necessary  for  comfortably  working 
there.  The  size  depends  on  the  size  of  the  family 
and  the  amount  of  service  required.  A  kitchen 
eight  by  twelve  is  large  enough  for  a  family  where 
only  one  person  at  a  time  works  in  the  kitchen. 

The  proper  position  for  the  kitchen  is  one  which 
isolates  it  as  much  as  possible  from  all  other 
rooms  excc]3t  the  dining-room.  If  space  allows, 
a  butler's  pantry  between  kitchen  and  dining- 
room  gives  a  convenient  storage  place  for  table 
china,  a  place  for  cold  foods  ready  to  be  served, 
and  a  sink  for  the  washing  of  china,  glass,  and 


THE    KITCHEN  AND  LAUNDRY        165 

silver.  Swinging  -  doors  into  both  rooms  allow 
easy  passage,  and  the  odors  of  cooking  do  not 
penetrate  the  dining-room.  A  butler's  pantry 
should  have  the  window  over  the  sink.  The 
name  of  this  room  or  semi-room  is  perhaps  un- 
fortunate, since  it  suggests  that  it  is  needed  or 
desirable  only  in  houses  where  there  will  be 
elaborate  service.  Quite  the  contrary,  it  is  a 
great  help  to  the  housekeeper  doing  her  own 
work,  and  should  be  provided  wherever  possible. 
Frequently  the  space  assigned  to  the  kitchen 
could  be  profitably  divided  so  as  to  provide  a 
butler's  pantry. 

The  kitchen  should  have  a  direct  or  vestibule 
entrance  for  the  delivery  of  supplies.  Where 
there  is  a  cellar  there  should  be  direct  or  very 
easy  access  from  the  kitchen.  It  seems  hardly 
necessary  to  say  that  the  kitchen  should  be  light, 
airy,  cheerful,  and  easily  cleaned.  For  both  light 
and  ventilation  there  should  wherever  possible 
be  windows  on  two  sides  of  the  room. 

The  walls  of  the  model  kitchen  should  perhaps 
be  tiled,  but  this  finish  is  too  expensive  for  any 
but  the  ample  purse.  Good  paint  is  a  satis- 
factory finish,  and  is  easily  cleaned.  The  color 
should  always  be  light.  White  is  in  many  rooms 
glaring,  but  the  deep-cream  or  old  ivory  is  satis- 
factory almost  everywhere. 

The  woodwork  is  best  painted  to  match  the 
walls,  and  if  enameled  is  much  easier  to  clean. 
Everywhere  it  is  important  to  avoid  fancy  mold- 


i66  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

ings  and  turnings  in  the  woodwork ;  but  nowhere 
more  so  than  in  the  kitchen.  The  space  where 
the  hand  touches  a  swinging-door  should  be  pro- 
tected (on  both  sides  of  each  door)  by  a  piece  of 
plate  glass  about  five  by  eight,  fastened  on  by 
screws  through  holes  drilled  in  each  corner.  The 
bottom  of  such  doors  is  sometimes  protected  by 
a  strip  of  brass,  but  this  is  not  necessary  in  a  house 
or  apartment,  as  the  foot  should  never  be  used 
to  open  the  door. 

The  floor  may  be  finished  in  one  of  the  cements 
now  used  for  such  purposes.  This  has  the  dis- 
advantage that  it  is  unpleasant  to  and  hard  on 
the  feet,  and  that  it  is  expensive.  The  chief 
advantage  is  that  the  edges  can  be  rounded  up 
to  the  mopboard  in  one  continuous  ciirve,  thus 
facilitating  cleaning.  An  outlet  for  water  in 
one  comer,  draining  into  a  sewer  (with  the  proper 
guard  against  odors)  or  directly  with  the  ground, 
simplifies  cleaning  such  a  floor. 

The  practical  covering  for  the  ordinary  kitchen 
is  linoleum.  This  comes  in  attractive  designs — 
those  with  a  good  deal  of  white  or  cream-white 
being  preferable — and  is  easily  washed.  Only 
inlaid  linoleimi,  and  that  in  a  good  grade,  is  worth 
buying.  The  initial  cost  is  considerable,  but  it 
wears  indefinitely.  It  is  always  best  to  have  the 
linoleum  laid  by  the  firm  from  whom  it  is  bought, 
as  they  understand  how  to  lay  it  right,  and  the 
amateur  does  not.  When  it  is  finally  tacked  into 
place,   a  half-round  of  molding  should   be  put 


THE   KITCHEN  AND  LAUNDRY        167 

down  next  the  baseboard  all  around  over  the 
edges  of  the  linoleum.  Where  there  is  a  vesti- 
bule it  should  be  treated  in  the  same  way.  The 
cost  of  the  linoleum  is  small  compared  to  the  hard 
work  it  saves  the  person  who  washes  the  kitchen 
floor. 

Those  who  find  standing  very  tiring  are  often 
helped  by  having  a  rubber  mat  (pierced)  in  front 
of  sink  and  stove;  but  such  people  are  much 
wiser  if  they  learn  to  do  more  of  their  work  sitting, 
and  leave  the  whole  floor  clear. 

The  artificial  lighting  must  be  good.  Electric- 
ity is  the  best  light,  and  if  ordinary  city  gas  is 
used  there  should  be  a  mantle  burner.  Far  bet- 
ter than  a  center  chandelier  with  two  lights  is  one 
wall-light  over  the  table  and  one  between  the 
stove  and  the  sink. 

The  windows  should  have  strong,  washable 
shades.  If  there  are  curtains  they  should  be 
short  ones,  perhaps  sash-curtains,  of  white  wash- 
able material.  Scrim  is  probably  the  best- 
wearing  material  for  the  money.  There  should 
be  two  sets  of  curtains,  and  they  should  be  washed 
each  week  as  regularly  as  table  or  bed  linen. 
Many  housekeepers  prefer  to  do  without  cur- 
tains. 

Window-boxes  to  fit  the  sills,  in  which  parsley 
and  chives  are  grown,  are  an  attractive  as  well 
as  a  useful  addition  to  the  equipment  of  the 
kitchen. 

The  arrangement  of  the  kitchen  should  be  made 


i68  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

with  the  efficiency  ideal  in  mind — the  minimum 
of  expenditure  in  time  and  strength  for  the  re- 
quired result.  The  main  pieces  of  equipment  are : 
stove,  sink,  work-table,  cupboards,  and  shelves 
for  supplies  and  utensils,  refrigerator.  The  gen- 
eral relationship  of  these  should  be  such  that 
the  supplies  and  utensils  can  be  brought  to  work- 
table,  from  there  to  stove,  from  there  to  dining- 
room,  back  to  sink  (butler's  pantry  better),  and 
so  to  supply  and  utensil  storage,  with  the  fewest 
possible  steps.  Any  housekeeper  can  test  this 
for  herself  by  drawing  several  plans  of  the  kitchen, 
and  tracing  thereon  her  course  in  the  preparation 
and  clearing  away  of  a  meal.  The  placing  of  the 
stove  and  sink  is  often  conditioned  by  the  other 
arrangements  of  the  house — chimney  and  plumb- 
ing— but  all  other  equipment  may  be  shifted. 

The  stove  must  be  good  of  its  kind  and  easily 
cleaned.  Where  gas  is  obtainable,  and  there  is 
some  other  supply  of  heat  for  the  kitchen,  the 
gas-range  is  an  economy.  The  electric  range  is 
cleaner,  but  as  yet  is  too  expensive  in  most  places. 
A  gas-range  of  the  table  form  should  be  chosen — 
the  oven  and  broiler  above  at  one  side  of  the 
burners.  Where  the  space  is  not  wide  enough, 
a  stove  with  oven  and  broiler  above  the  burners 
should  be  chosen.  Only  in  a  large  family  is  a 
second  oven  needed,  and  where  needed  it  can  be 
below;  but  it  is  highly  inefficient  to  have  the 
housekeeper  bending  to  a  low  oven  for  baking. 
In    the  table  fonn  some  of  the  large  cooking- 


THE   KITCHEN  AND  LAUNDRY        169 

utensils  can  be  kept  on  the  lower  shelf.  A  hood 
to  carry  off  odors  is  excellent  where  this  does  not 
darken  the  stove  too  much. 

A  fireless  cooker  is  part  of  the  equipment  of 
every  good  modern  kitchen.  The  insulated  gas- 
stove,  providing  ordinary  cooking  by  gas  and  fire- 
less  cooking  in  one  piece  of  equipment,  is  admira- 
ble when  well  made,  and  will  pay  for  its  increased 
initial  cost  in  the  saving  of  fuel  if  it  is  to  be  used 
for  a  number  of  years. 

The  sink  should  be  of  good  size — 20  by  36  is 
good  in  most  places — and  at  a  height  convenient 
for  the  woman  who  is  to  use  it.  The  average 
woman  is  5  feet  2  inches,  and  the  sink  for  her  should 
be  2  7  inches  from  the  floor.  If  women  of  different 
heights  must  be  provided  for,  30  inches  is  better. 
A  light  platform  of  the  right  height  can  then  be 
provided  for  the  shorter  woman.  Plumbers  are 
almost  invariably  unwilling  to  set  a  sink  high 
enough.  Those  on  legs  have  to  be  set  on  blocks, 
as  they  are  always  too  low.  A  sink  fastened  to 
the  wall  by  concealed  hangers  can  be  placed  at 
any  height,  and  is  in  any  case  better,  as  cleaning 
under  it  is  easier. 

Porcelain  sinks  are  serviceable  and  very  ex- 
pensive. White  enameled  sinks  are  best  for  the 
average  family.  A  wooden  rack  or  rubber  mat 
in  the  bottom  of  the  sink  will  protect  it  from 
scratching.  A  second  smaller  sink  beside  the 
main  sink  is  an  excellent  substitute  for  a  dish- 
pan.     There   must   then  be  a  stopper — of  the 


I70  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

special  kind  made  for  sinks  —  for  the  drain- 
pipe. 

A  drain-board  at  each  end  of  the  sink  is  a  con- 
venience, but  if  there  is  only  one,  it  should  be  at 
the  right.  Dish-pan,  sink-brush,  and  other  uten- 
sils for  sinlc  use  should  be  hung  from  hooks  under 
the  drain-board. 

A  long  shelf  at  a  good  height  above  the  sink 
will  hold  other  much-used  utensils  on  top  and 
hanging  from  hooks  underneath.  There  should 
be  at  least  two  soap-dishes  (besides  a  soap-shaker), 
and  all  should  be  hung  or  fastened  on  wall  or 
woodwork  at  a  convenient  height.  Vegetable- 
brushes  and  similar  utensils  should  be  provided 
with  screw-eyes  or  loops  in  order  that  they  may 
by  hung  up,  and  nothing  of  any  kind  should 
stand  regtdarly  on  the  drain-board  except  a  cov- 
ered white  enameled  can  in  which  refuse  can  be 
dropped. 

The  work-table  should  have  an  easily  cleaned 
top.  Zinc  is  probably  the  most  practical  and 
cheapest  in  the  end.  The  so-called  pastry-table, 
with  bin-shaped  drawers,  sliding  pastry-boards, 
and  drawers,  is  excellent.  In  the  kitchen  where 
cupboard  space  is  lacking  it  may  be  well  to  have 
a  kitchen  cabinet  which  adds  to  the  pastry-table 
cupboards  and  more  drawers.  Good  kitchen  cab- 
inets are,  however,  expensive. 

There  is  also  a  disadvantage  in  having  doors 
to  the  cupboards  over  the  work-table.  Open 
shelves  over  the  table,  deep  enough  to  hold  only 


THE   KITCHEN  AND  LAUNDRY        171 

one  row  of  jars,  enable  the  housekeeper  to  have 
at  hand  all  common  dry-food  materials  and  all 
flavorings  and  condiments.  The  lower  shelf 
should  be  at  least  a  foot  from  the  table,  and  from 
the  underside  the  commonest  utensils  used  in 
preparation  should  be  hung.  If  the  measuring- 
cup,  egg-beater,  grater,  potato -masher,  biscuit- 
cutter,  can  -  opener,  corkscrew,  lemon  -  squeezer, 
shears,  and  apple-corer  hang  here,  the  housekeep- 
er is  saved  hundreds  of  steps  or  arm  movements 
in  the  opening  of  drawers. 

A  shelf  for  cook-books  and  a  place  for  a  small 
card  cabinet  must  be  provided.  A  cook-book 
holder  is  an  excellent  addition  to  the  equipment. 

Each  housekeeper  should  plan  a  place  for  each 
utensil,  the  most  convenient  possible  to  the  most 
frequent  point  of  use.  Coffee-mill  and  scales 
should  be  fixtures.  All  shelves  are  better  if 
enameled  white  and  washed  frequently.  By 
the  stove  should  hang  a  covered  salt-box,  a  rack 
for  pot-covers,  a  double  match-safe,  one  half  to 
hold  a  box  of  safety  matches,  the  other  burnt 
matches;   stove-cloths,  and  flour-dredge. 

The  vestibule  is  frequently  the  best  place  for 
the  refrigerator,  and  in  a  house  wherever  possible 
the  ice-compartment  of  the  refrigerator  should 
be  accessible  (through  a  door  the  size  of  the  side 
of  the  compartment)  directly  from  the  outside. 
In  an  apartment  where  ice  comes  up  on  the  dumb- 
waiter the  refrigerator  should  be  as  near  this  as 
possible.     The  disadvantage  of  having  the  re- 


172  FURNISHING  THE   HOiME 

frigerator  in  the  kitchen  is  in  the  space  it  takes 
and  its  awkwardness  in  the  average  room.  The 
advantage  is  that  the  perishable  food  materials 
are  constantly  at  hand. 

For  the  small  apartment  kitchen  there  is  an 
excellent  rack  for  drying  towels  that  can  be 
hoisted  to  the  ceiling  by  a  pulley  and  be  kept  out 
of  the  way.  If  a  roller  hand-towel  is  used  it 
should  be  convenient  to  the  sink.  A  roll  of  paper 
toweling  should  be  kept  in  every  kitchen,  as 
there  are  frequent  uses  for  fresh  porous  paper. 

There  should  be  one  firm,  well-built  chair  in 
the  kitchen.  If  space  allows,  a  second  low  chair 
is  a  good  addition.  Many  housekeepers  like  a 
stool  for  some  work,  but  to  others  it  is  tiring  to 
sit  for  long  without  support  for  the  back. 

The  housekeeper  who  has  room  for  a  separate 
laundry  is  fortunate.  In  a  house  this  is  best 
placed  on  the  first  floor  near  the  kitchen.  If 
there  is  not  room  on  the  first  floor,  the  laundry 
may  be  in  the  basement,  if  proper  light  and  air 
are  available.  A  good  hot-water  supply,  a  con- 
venient place  for  heating  a  clothes-boiler,  and 
provision  for  ironing  should  be  added. 

In  the  apartment  the  laundry  tubs  must  usually 
be  in  the  kitchen.  Frequently  it  is  well  to  have 
a  table  top  to  lay  across  these  which,  with  its 
contents,  may  be  moved  away  when  the  tubs  are 
used. 

Where  there  is  running  water,  set  tubs  are  a 
necessity.     These,  like  sinks,  are  usually  too  low, 


THE   KITCHEN  AND  LAUNDRY        173 

and  should  be  set  on  blocks.  A  good  height  for 
the  average  woman  is  thirty-five  inches.  Where 
there  is  no  running  water  the  tubs  should  be  set 
up  on  a  bench,  and  provided  with  spigots  at  the 
bottom  so  that  they  may  be  emptied  into  pails. 
The  kitchen  is  the  center  of  the  household 
activities,  having  the  greatest  effect  on  the  family 
health  and  welfare.  Whether  the  work  there  is 
done  by  the  home-maker  herself  or  by  a  paid 
household  employee,  it  is  equally  important  to 
have  the  room  clean,  bright,  and  conveniently 
arranged.  The  housekeeper  who  rents  a  house 
or  apartment  frequently  grudges  too  much  ex- 
penditure on  kitchen  fixtures.  Shelves  cost  very 
little,  and  if  some  member  of  the  family  wields 
the  paint-brush,  painting  and  enameling  can  be 
done  at  a  low  cost.  Making  the  working  condi- 
tions of  the  kitchen  right  is  one  of  the  first  duties 
of  the  planner  of  the  house,  and  in  no  place  will 
she  find  greater  reward  for  the  thought  and  care 
expended. 


XVI 

HANDY   MAN'.S    CHAPTER 

Directions  Jor  Finishing  Wood 

THE  old  cabinet  -  makers  used  no  varnish  or 
shellac.  A  beautiful  wood  should  be  covered 
with  boiled  linseed-oil,  to  which  a  httle  beeswax 
may  be  added,  and  rubbed  with  a  soft  cloth  until  a 
dull  polish  has  been  acquired.  If  a  piece  of  furni- 
ture has  been  very  heavily  varnished,  a  varnish- 
remover  may  be  used  to  take  off  the  top  surface. 
Wood-alcohol  is  a  large  ingredient  of  varnish- 
removers.  With  patient  application,  however, 
sandpaper  and  rubbing  will  remove  all  the  var- 
nish or  shellac  from  wood.  The  last  of  the  varnish 
should  be  sandpapered  off,  then  the  wood  should 
be  carefully  rubbed  with  pumice-stone  until  the 
last  bit  of  the  varnish  has  been  removed.  After 
this  the  piece  of  furniture  should  be  washed  care- 
fully with  warm  water  and  a  little  soap,  thor- 
oughly dried,  then  boiled  linseed-oil  and  a  little 
beeswax  should  be  rubbed  into  it,  and  this  con- 
tinued until  a  fine,  dull  finish  has  developed. 

A  quicker  method  of  finishing  a  piece  of  furni- 
ture after  all  varnish  and  shellac  has  been  re- 


HANDY  MAN'S  CHAPTER  175 

moved  is  by  covering  the  wood  with  a  coat  of 
shellac.  When  this  dries  it  should  be  rubbed  with 
powdered  pumice-stone  and  boiled  linseed-oil  to 
dull  the  gloss  of  the  shellac.  When  this  has  been 
done  the  wood  should  be  oiled  and  rubbed  to  a 
dull  surface  poHsh. 

A  heavy  coat  of  paint  on  a  piece  of  old  furniture 
can  best  be  removed  by  a  varnish-remover.  When 
all  the  paint  has  been  removed  the  wood  should 
be  carefully  pumiced,  and  then  oiled  and  finished 
according  to  directions  above. 

Varnish  should  never  be  used  on  furniture  ex- 
cept in  a  lacquering  process.  To  lacquer  a  piece 
of  wood  a  coat  of  paint  brighter  than  what  is  de- 
sired in  the  finished  result  should  be  applied  first. 
Black  and  vermilion  are  the  colors  most  com- 
monly used.  When  the  paint  is  dry,  the  pattern 
may  be  painted  in  another  color.  A  pattern  may 
be  raised  in  relief  by  first  applying  a  thin  coat  of 
powdered  whiting  and  shellac  over  the  pattern. 
When  this  is  thoroughly  dry,  the  raised  surface 
of  the  pattern  can  be  painted  in  gold  or  color. 

Then  a  thin  coat  of  good  varnish  should  be 
applied  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  background 
and  pattern.  When  this  is  thoroughly  dry  it 
should  be  rubbed  with  powdered  pumice  and  oil. 
Another  coat  of  varnish,  another  pumicing,  and 
still  another  varnishing,  until  a  surface  of  the 
desired  depth  is  reached.  A  last  light  pumicing 
will  leave  a  lovely  transparent  color. 

Care  must  be  taken  that  the  work  is  done  where 


176  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

no  dust  or  dirt  can  fall  on  it  while  the  varnish  or 
paint  is  wet.  It  is  said  that  the  Chinese  and  Japan- 
ese do  their  lacquering  on  board  a  ship  so  that 
the  danger  from  dust  is  minimized. 

Directions  for    Painting    Furniture    or    Interior 

Wood  Trim 

The  wood  should  be  clear  of  all  previous  paint- 
ings and  varnishings.  A  first  coat  of  tliin  paint 
should  be  allowed  to  dry  thoroughly  before  a 
second  coat  of  paint  is  put  on.  Both  coats  should 
be  of  the  color  desired  in  the  finished  wood.  Then 
the  coat  of  enamel  should  be  applied.  Enamel 
can  be  bought  in  any  color,  or  ordinary  oil-paint 
can  be  mixed  with  white  enamel  to  get  the  desired 
shade.  A  fight  pumicing  with  oil  will  dull  a  too- 
insistent  shine  of  the  enamel.  A  stencil  design 
may  be  painted  on  after  the  enamel  is  dry. 

Directions  for  Staining  Wood 

Wood-stains  in  all  colors  dissolved  in  alcohol 
are  on  the  market.  A  good  stain  is  made  of 
turpentine  and  oil-paint  of  the  desired  color. 
This  should  be  applied  to  the  wood.  When 
dry  it  should  be  rubbed  with  beeswax  and 
linseed-oil  to  get  a  dull  polished  surface. 

Directions  for  Treatment  of  Floors 

A  good  hard-wood  or  parquet  floor  needs  only 
oihng,  waxing,  and  rubbing.     To  be  kept  in  good 


HANDY  MAN'S.  CHAPTER  177 

condition  a  floor  should  be  well  waxed  and  rubbed 
about  once  a  week.  The  rubbing  may  be  done 
with  a  weighted  brush,  which  can  be  purchased 
in  any  department  store,  or  with  more  labor  it 
can  be  done  by  rubbing  and  ix)lishing  with  a  soft 
cloth. 

A  floor  which  is  too  light  in  color  can  be  dark- 
ened with  a  wood-stain.  A  wood-stain  can  be  re- 
moved with  strong  chloride -of -lime -and -water 
scrubbing.  Care  should  be  taken  that  all  of 
the  chloride  of  lime  be  removed  by  thorough 
rinsing. 

A  floor  which  has  been  badly  treated  and  has 
a  broken  or  splintered  surface  can  be  made  over 
by  planing  off  the  top  of  it.  A  carpenter  can  do 
this  with  little  labor  and  at  a  small  cost.  If  the 
wood  is  not  good  enough  to  Avarrant  this,  the  next 
best  treatment  is  given  by  a  coat  or  two  of  good 
spar  varnish.  This  must  be  given  ample  time  to 
dry,  and  is  then  very  durable. 

Shellac  should  never  be  used  on  floors,  for 
its  brittle  surface  is  easily  scratched  and  it 
turns  white  with  water  -  stains.  A  good  spar 
varnish  does  not  scratch  nor  show  water- 
marks. 

Linoleum  makes  a  serviceable,  clean  floor- 
covering,  and  it  is  perhaps  less  obvious  when 
covered  with  a  coat  of  good  varnish.  A  linoleum 
floor  should  be  revarnishcd  frequently,  to  in- 
crease the  wear.  Painted  floors  are  also  im- 
proved by  a  coat  of  varnish. 


178  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

Directions  for  Dyeing 

Dyeing  ofifers  invaluable  possibilities  of  econ- 
omy and  beauty  to  the  housekeeper.  Materials  of 
beautiful  color  arc  always  difficult  to  find  and  are 
expensive.  White  China  silk  costs  from  50  cents 
a  yard  up.  The  same  quality  in  beautiful  colors 
costs  from  80  cents  a  yard  up. 

All  modem  commercial  dye-stuffs  are  coal-tar 
products.  The  so-called  vegetable  dyes  are  ro- 
mantic fallacies  of  the  amateur  arts  and  crafts 
worker,  and  a  commercial  shibboleth  in  shops. 
The  early  developments  of  coal-tar  dyes  deserved 
condemnation,  for  the  colors  were  very  crude 
and  neither  fast  to  light  nor  washing.  The  aniline 
dyes  were  of  the  early  developed  group,  but  they 
are  very  inferior  both  in  color  and  quality  to  the 
dyes  more  recently  produced  and  now  on  the 
market. 

For  the  amateur  direct  salt  dyes  for  cotton 
and  linen  materials  and  direct  silk  or  acid  dyes 
for  silk  and  wool  are  of  practical  value.  There 
are  even  better  dyes  available  in  the  indirect  and 
sulphur  colors,  but  these  are  limited  in  color  and 
more  difficult  of  application. 

The  direct  dyes  by  proper  application  are 
reasonably  fast  to  light  and  washing.  For  cotton 
and  linen  materials  the  direct  salt  dyes  should 
be  dissolved  in  water,  a  small  handful  of  salt 
added  and  the  liquid  brought  to  a  boiling-point. 
The  goods  thoroughly  wetted  should  be  immersed 


HANDY  MAN'S  CHAPTER  179 

in  the  dye  bath  and,  with  constant  stirring  and 
lifting,  allowed  to  boil  for  fifteen  to  twenty 
minutes.  The  materials  should  then  be  rinsed 
and  allowed  to  dry. 

For  silk  or  wool  material  the  direct  dyes  should 
be  dissolved  in  water,  a  few  drops  of  concentrated 
sulphuric  acid  added,  and  the  Hquid  brought  to  a 
boiling-point.  Vinegar  in  larger  quantities  may 
be  used  as  a  mordant  instead  of  sulphuric  acid. 
The  goods  thoroughly  wetted  should  be  immersed 
in  the  dye  bath  and,  with  quick  constant  stirring 
and  lifting,  be  allowed  to  stay  at  the  boiHng-point 
for  ten  minutes.  The  materials  should  be  thor- 
oughly rinsed  in  several  waters  to  remove  all  the 
acid,  and  allowed  to  dry. 

Red,  blue,  and  yellow  are  all  the  colors  neces- 
sary to  produce  any  shade.  Red  and  blue  will 
make  a  violet;  blue  and  yellow  a  green;  and 
yellow  and  red  an  orange.  All  three  colors  will 
make  a  neutral  gray.  All  three  colors  with  a  pre- 
dominance of  yellow  will  make  tan,  with  a  pre- 
dominance of  blue  a  cold  greenish  gray,  with  a 
predominance  of  red  a  brown  color. 

If  the  blue  and  red  make  too  bright  a  violet  a 
small  amount  of  the  third  color  will  neutralize 
and  dull  it.  A  small  amount  of  blue  added  to 
red  and  37-ellow  will  give  a  dull  orange.  A  small 
amount  of  red  added  to  blue  and  yellow  will  give 
a  dull  green. 

It  would  be  rather  reckless  to  attempt  to  dye 
large  pieces  of  material  without  previously  experi- 
13 


i8o  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

meriting  with  the  color.  It  is  always  wiser  for 
the  amateur  to  dye  material  a  lighter  color  at 
first  than  is  desired,  for  then  a  little  more  of  the 
same  color  or  another  color  can  be  added  to  get 
the  desired  shade.  Silk  and  wool  materials  take 
up  the  dye  quickly.  Frequently  after  dyeing  silk 
or  wool  the  dye  liquid  will  be  quite  colorless,  the 
material  having  absorbed  all  the  dye-stuff. 

Direct  dyeing  is  a  very  simple  process,  and  any 
one  can,  with  a  little  experimenting,  learn  how  to 
produce  any  color.  It  is  especially  valuable  to 
the  housekeeper  to  be  able  to  dye  and  redye 
materials. 

Many  materials  are  good  in  design,  but  atro- 
cious in  color.  These  may  be  dyed  and  made  a 
beautiful  color  without  losing  either  the  pattern 
or  the  texture.  Unbleached  muslin  is  sometimes 
\'ery  interesting  in  texture,  and  when  dyed  in 
beautiful  colors  it  may  be  used  for  curtains,  cush- 
ions, and  other  interior  furnishing.  Velvet  and 
velveteen  for  upholstery,  portieres,  and  cushions 
may  be  easily  dyed  to  match  any  color  scheme. 
The  crushed  nap  of  the  velvet  gives  the  velvet  a 
lovely  texture  for  curtains  and  upholstery. 

Most  of  the  commercial  dye-stuffs  are  made 
in  Germany  and  sold  by  importing-houscs  in  this 
country,  from  whom  they  can  be  purchased  in 
both  large  and  small  quantities,  and  a  httle  good 
dye  goes  a  long  way.  A  half-pound  each  of  blue, 
yellow,  and  red  will  dye  a  large  amount  of  ma- 
terial.    But  very  satisfactory  results  can  be  ob- 


HANDY  MAN'S  CHAPTER  i8i 

tained  from  the  small  packages  of  dye  for  sale 
ever3rwhere. 

Directions  for  Making  a  Rose-jar 

Whole  allspice,  crushed,  2  oz. ;  stick  of  cinnamon,  broken 
roughly,  2  oz.;  bruised  and  shredded  orris-root,  I  oz.; 
lavender  flower,  2  oz.;  oil  of  rose,  5  drops;  good  cologne, 
>4  pint;  rose-petals,  salt. 

Gather  rose-leaves  in  the  morning,  let  stand  in 
cool  place  to  dry.  Toss  them  lightly,  then  put 
them  in  large  covered  dish  in  layers,  sprinkling 
each  layer  freely  with  salt.  Add  to  this  for  several 
mornings  until  enough  leaves  have  been  gathered 
to  fill  a  quart  jar.  Shake  up  or  stir  every  morning, 
and  let  the  whole  stand  ten  days  after  the  last 
petals  arc  added. 

Transfer  to  glass  fruit-jar  in  the  bottom  of  which 
has  been  placed  the  allspice  and  cinnamon.  Let 
it  stand  six  weeks,  partly  covered.  It  is  then 
ready  for  a  permanent  jar.  Add  to  it  now  the 
orris,  lavender,  and  a  small  quantity  of  any  sweet- 
scented  dried  leaves.  Add  a  few  drops  of  rose- 
oil  and  then  pour  over  one-fourth  pint  of  cologne- 
water. 

From  time  to  time  a  little  lavender  or  other 
scents  may  be  added. 


XVII 


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Italian  Villas  and  Their  Gardens.     Edith  Wharton.   The 

Century  Company.     1904.     $6.00. 


iS4  FURNISHING  THE  HOiME 

Furniture  and  Furnishing 

Decorative  Periods.     C.  R.  Clifford.    Clifford  &  Lawton. 

1906.  $3.00. 

Historic  Styles.  Virginia  Robie.  House  Beautiful  Pub- 
lishing Company,  New  York. 

Decorative  Styles  and  Periods  in  the  Home.  H.  C.  Candee. 
Frederick  A.  Stokes  Company.     1906.     $2.00. 

Period  Furnishings,  and  an  Encyclopedia  of  Ornament. 
C.R.Clifford.     Cliflford  &  Lawton.     191 1.     $5.00. 

Making  and  Furnishing  Outdoor  Rooms  and  Porches. 
Harold  D.  Eberlein.  McBride,  Nast  Sc  Co.  1913. 
50  cents. 

Furnishing  the  Home  of  Good  Taste.  LucH  Abbot  Throop. 
McBride,  Nast  &  Co.     1912.     $2.00. 

The  House  in  Good  Taste.  Elsie  DeWoi.fe.  The  Cen- 
tury Company.     1913.     $2.50. 

Lure  of  the  Antique.  W.  A.  Dyer.  The  Century  Com- 
pany.    1910.     $2.40. 

Common  Sense  Collector.  F.  F,  Moore.  George  H. 
Doran  Company.     191 1.     $3.00. 

Historic  Styles  in  Furniture.  Virginia  Robie.  The 
House  Beautiful  Publishing  Company,  New  York. 

English  Furniture — 17th,  i8th,  and  19th  Centuries.  T.  A. 
Strange.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     1907.     $5.00. 

English  Furniture  of  the  17th  and  i8th  Centuries.  Luke 
Vincent  Lockwood.  [Privately  printed.  Tififany 
studios.     1907. 

Colonial  Furniture  in  America.  Luke  Vincent  Lock- 
wood.  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.   New  edition.  $25.00. 

English  Furniture  and  Furniture  Makers  of  the  i8th  Cen- 
tury. P.  S.  Clouston.  Hurst  &  Blackett,  London. 
$2.00. 

Old  Oak  Furniture.     Fred  Roe.     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co, 

1907.  $3.00. 


SOME  USEFUL  BOOKS  185 

Measured    Drawings    of   Old    English    Furniture.     J.    W. 

HuRRELL.     Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     1902.     $15.00. 
Diitrh     and     Flemish     Furniture.     Esther     Singleton. 

Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.     1907.     $7.50. 
Furniture  of  Our  Forefathers.  Esther  Singleton.  Double- 
day,   Page  &  Co.     New  edition.     $10.00. 
Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time.     F.  C.  Morse.     The  Mac- 

millan  Co.     1902.     $3.00. 
Chippendale  Period  in  English  Furniture.     K.  W.  Clow- 

STON.     Edward  Arnold,  London.     1897.     25. 
Furniture    Designs    of    Chippendale,     Ilepplewhite,     and 

Sheraton.     Arthur  Hayden.     McBride,  Nast  &  Co. 

1912. 
Chats  on  Old  Furniture.     Hayden.     Frederick  A.  Stokes 

Co.     1905.     $5.00. 
Colonial  Furniture  and  Interiors.     N.  W.  Elwell. 
Quest  of  the    Colonial.     Robert  Shackelton.     Century 

Company.     1907.     $2.40. 
French  and  English  Furniture.     Esther  Singleton. 
French  Interiors,  Furniture,  Decoration,  etc.    T.  A.  Strange, 

Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     New  York.     1903.     $5.00. 


Rugs 

Rugs  of  the  Orient.  C.  R.  Clifford.  Cliflford  &  Lawton, 
191 1.     $2.00. 

Rugs  in  Their  Native  Land.  Eliza  Dunn.  Dodd,  Mead 
&  Co.     1910.     $2.50. 

Oriental  Rugs.  J.  K.  Mumford,  Charles  Scribner's  Sons, 
1902,     $7.50. 

Rugs — Oriental,  Occidental,  Antique,  and  Modern.  R.  B. 
Holt,     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co.     1908.     I5.00. 

Ho2u  to  Kno7o  Oriental  Rtigs.  M.  B.  Langton.  D.  Apple- 
ton  &  Co.     1904.     $2.00. 


i86  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 

Practical  Book  of  Oriental  Rugs.  G.  G.  Lewis.  J.  B. 
Lippincott   Company.     191 1.     $4.50. 

A  Book  of  Hand  Woven  Coverlets.  Eliza  Calvert  Hall. 
Little,  Brown  &  Co.     1912.     $4.00. 

History  of  Tapestry.  W.  G.  Thomson.  G.  P.  Putnam's 
Sons.     1906.     $12.00. 

Tapestries.  George  Leland  Hunter.  John  Lane  Com- 
pany.    1912.     $12.50. 

Art  in  England  During  the  Elizabethan  and  Stuart  Periods. 
Aymer  Vallance.  Edited  by  Charles  Holme.  Studio 
Magazine.     John  Lane  Company.     1908.     $3.00. 

China 

The  Keramic  Gallery.    Wm.  Chaffers.     Charles  Scrib- 

ner's  Sons.     $12.50. 
Pottery  and  Porcelain  of  the  United  States.     E.  A.  Barber. 

G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons.     1913.     $5.00. 
China    Collecting    in    America.     Alice    Moore    Earle. 

Charles  Scribner's  Sons.     New  edition.     $3.00. 
How  to  Identify  Old  China.     Mrs.  Willoughby  Hodgson. 

George  Bell  &  Sons,  London.     Macmillan  Company. 

1903.     $2.00. 
Dyes  and  Dyeing.     C.  E.  Pellow.     McBride,  Nast  &  Co. 

1913.     $2.00. 
Guide  to  Old  English  Potteries  and  Porcelains.     Arthur  S. 

Vernay,  New  York.     50  cents. 


INDEX 


Apartments,  renting,  23-34. 

Architect,  3,  4,  41,  43. 

Architecture,  8  -  22 ;  Colo- 
nial, 9,  10,  II,  12,  13,  21; 
English,  13,  14,  21; 
Renaissance,  14,  15;  bun- 
galow, 15. 

Balance,  37,  38. 
Bath-room,  1 61-163. 
Beauty  of  furnishing,  35  et 

seq. 
Bedroom,  22,  34,  50,   155- 

163. 
Beds,  79,  98,  106,  156,  157. 
Bed-spreads,  158. 
Benches,  79. 
Book-shelves,    34,    43,    132, 

136,  155,  159- 

Boule,  102. 

Bric-^-brac,  54,  140. 

Brick  house,  17. 

Builder,  5. 

Building,  i ;  cost,  6. 

Building-materials,  16-19; 
cost  of,  18. 

Bungalow,  15. 

Bureau.  See  Chest  of  draw- 
ers. 


Butler's  pantry,  11,  12,  164, 
165. 

Cabinets,  87,  98,  134; 
kitchen,  170. 

Candles,  145,  151,  I59- 

Candlesticks,  54,  151. 

Carpets,  56. 

Chairs,  39,  68-126,  134,  137, 
146,  150,  160,  172;  Chip- 
pendale, 69,  89,  90~94. 
123;  Sheraton,  69,  97-98, 
123;  Renaissance,  Eliza- 
bethan, Tudor,  78;  Stuart, 
73,  84,  III,  123;  oak,  78, 
Jacobean,  80;  Cromwell, 
81;  Windsor,  81,  82,  84, 
no,  125,  138,  139;  Queen 
Anne,  82,  89,  123;  banis- 
ter-back, 84;  grand- 
father's, 86,  138;  fiddle- 
back,  88;  Adam,  95,  96, 
123;  Hepplewhite,  96,  97; 
Louis  XIV.,  99-103,  123; 
Louis  XV.,  103-105; 
Louis  XVI.,  105-107;  Em- 
pire, 107,  108;  American 
Colonial,  109-116;  rock- 
ing, 113, 138;  painted  fur- 


i88  PLANNING  AND  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 


niture,  95,  97,   119,    120; 

wicker,     120,     121,     138; 

leather,      138;       Martha 

Washington,  138;  Shaker, 

138. 
Chandeliers,  33,  50,   151. 
Chests,  79,  86;    of  drawers, 

III,  160. 
China,  148,  149;   closet,  21. 
Chinoiserie,  104. 
Clocks,    156;   grandfather's, 

86,   129;    banjo,   129. 
Colonial  house,  9,  10,  11,  12, 

21. 
Color,  40-54,  135.  148,  149- 
Color  prints,  53,  141. 
Concrete  house,  17. 
Cost  of  building,  6. 
Craftsman  furniture,  32,  70, 

71,  119. 
Cupboards,  79,  84,  162. 
Curtains,  41,  43,  44,  45,  46, 

61-67,  134,  135,  137,  145, 

148,  157,  167. 

Desk,  134,  156. 
Dining-room,  11,  21,  40,  66, 

146-154. 
Doors,  20,  41. 
Drawing-room,  38,  133. 
Dressers,  84,  86. 
Dressing-room,  156. 
Dressing-table,      156,      159, 

160. 
Dyeing,  1 78-181. 

English  house,  13,  14,  21. 
Engravings,  53,  141. 
Etchings,  53,  141. 


FiRELESS  COOKER,    1 69. 

Fireplace,  21,  30,   134,  155. 

Floors,  27,  30,  31,  55,  56, 
129,  135,  162,  166,  176, 
177. 

Flowers,  134,  145. 

Footstool,  134,  160. 

Frame  house,  16. 

French  furniture.  See  Fur- 
niture. 

Furnace,  26. 

Furnishing,  plan  of,  39,  41; 
cost  of,  40. 

Furniture,  32,  38,  43;  his- 
tory of,  69,  72-77;  old 
English,  78-98;  shops,  74, 
109,  117-119,  125,  126; 
Jacobean,  80-84;  Eng- 
land, Dutch  influence,  85- 
89;  Georgian,  89-98; 
Chippendale,  89-94; 
Adam,  89,  94-96;  Ilepple- 
white,  89,  96-97;  Shera- 
ton, 89,  97-98;  French, 
99-108;  Louis  XIV^.,  99- 
103;  Louis  XV.,  103-105; 
Louis  XVI.,  105-107;  Em- 
pire, 107,  108;  American 
Colonial,  1 09-1 16;  re- 
fmishing  old,  I13-I15, 
174-176;  painted,  95,  97, 
119,  120;  painting  meth- 
od, 176;   staining,  176. 

Glass,  148,  149. 

Halls,  ii,  12,  21,  46,  50, 

127-132. 
j  Hardware,  22. 


INDEX 


189 


Harmony,  37,  40. 
Hat-rack,  130. 
Heating,  26. 
High-boy,  86,  88,  in. 

Inlay,  86,  87,  102. 

Jacobean  furniture.     See 

Furniture. 
Japanese  prints,  53,  141. 

Kitchen,  12,  50,  164-173. 

Lacquer,  86,  87,  104,  175, 

176. 
Lamps,  33,  50,  144. 
Lamp-shades,  50,  51. 
Lattice,  19. 
Laundry,  172-173. 
Library,  22,  133. 
Lights  and  lighting,  22,  33, 

48,  49-  50,   107,   128,  144, 

151,  167. 
Linoleums,  56,  166,  167,  177. 
Lithographs,  141. 
Living-room,  11,  12,  22,  29, 

40,  50,  120,  131,  133-145- 
Low-boy,  86,  89,  in. 

Mantels,   21,   30,   33,   95, 

107,  134- 
Marquetry,  86,  88,  102. 
Medici  prints,  141. 
Mezzotints,    53,    141. 
Mirrors,  83,  87,  95,  107,  130, 

143,  144,  159,  160. 
Mission    furniture,    32,    70, 

71,    119. 


Old    English    furniture. 

See  Furniture. 
Open  fire.     See  Fireplace. 
Oriental  rugs.     See  Rugs. 

Paintings.    See  Pictures. 

Papering.     See   Wall-paper. 

Park,  28. 

Photographs,  141,  142,  161. 

Picture-rail,  43. 

Pictures,  38,  41,  48,  52,  53, 

141-143,  147,  161. 
Plants,  145. 
Plaster  casts,  143. 
Plate-glass  tops,  153,  160. 
Plate-rail,   147. 
Playgrounds,  28. 
Plumbing,  25,  26,  162. 
Porches,  19. 
Porcelain,  148,  149. 
Pottery,  148,  149. 

Refinishing  old  furni- 
ture.    See  Furniture. 

Refrigerator,  26,  1 71-172. 

Renaissance  house,    14,    15. 

Renting,  23-34. 

Repairs,  26,  27. 

Rhythm,  38. 

Rose- jar,   181. 

Rugs,  45,  46,  56-61,  129, 
130.  134,  136,  147.  148; 
Oriental,  56-58,  59,  61; 
Aubusson,  58;  Donegal, 
59;  jute,  60;  rag,  60, 

Rush  bottoms,  115. 

Secretaries,  87,  97,  98. 
Servette,  152. 


iQo  PLANNING  AND  FURNISHING  THE  HOME 


Settee.     See  Sofa. 
Sewage,  25,  26. 
Sideboards,  96,  98,  146,  150. 
Silver,  149. 
Sink,  169,  170. 
Site,  I,  2,  6,  7,  28. 
Size  of  house,  24,  40. 
Sofa,  108,  112,   134,  139. 
Soil  test,  2. 
Stairs,  21,  129,  130. 
Stairway,  11,  12. 
Stove,  168. 
Stucco  house,  18. 
Sunlight,  23,  47. 

Tables,  68-126,  134,  146, 
150,  170;  gate-leg,  83,  84, 
no,  123,  139;  Dutch, 
88;  Chippendale,  90-94; 
Adam,  94-96;  Hepple- 
white,  96,  97;  Sheraton, 
97,  98;  Louis  XIV.,  99- 
103;  Louis  XV.,  103-105; 
Louis  XVI.,  105-107;  Em- 
pire, 107-108,  112;  Amer- 
ican Colonial,  109-116; 
butterfly,  in;  Pembroke, 
112;  painted  furniture, 
95.97,  II9»  120,  140,  150; 
serving,  146,  153. 

Table  linen,  152. 


Taste  in  furnishing,  36. 
Tiles,  22. 
Trellis,  19. 

Umbrella-holder,  131. 
Unity,  37,  40. 
Upholstery     materials,    45, 
46. 

Vases,  54. 

Veneer,  86,  87,  88,  103. 

Vernis  Martin,  104. 

Wall-paper,  29,  33,  43,  46, 
48,  129,  136,  147,  156, 
157,  161. 

Walls,  inside,  21,  32,  33,  42, 
43,  45,  46,  47.  55.  66,  129, 
134.  135.  136,  147,  165. 

Wall-spaces,  38,  41,  155. 

Wicker,  120,  121,  138. 

Willow,  120,  121. 

Window-boxes,   167. 

Window-seat,  132. 

Window-shades,  62,  167. 

Windows,  41,  42. 

Woodwork,  20,  21,  29,  33, 

41,  42,  43.  55,   134.   136, 
165,  166;    painting,  176. 
Writing-room,  12. 


THE    END 


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